Chapter 70

So Sun Wukong, rousing his divine might, gripped his iron staff, stepped upon auspicious light, and rose into the air. Facing him, he shouted, “Where are you, vile fiend, from? And where do you intend to wreak havoc?” The monster cried out in a harsh voice, “Our kind are no others—I am the vanguard under the command of the Great King, the Grand Duke Who Outdoes the Year, at the Xiezhi Cave on Qilin Mountain. By the king’s order I have come to take two palace maidens to attend upon the Gold Holy Mother. Who are you, that you dare question me?” Wukong said, “I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Escorting the Tang monk of the East to worship the Buddha in the Western Heaven, I pass through this kingdom and learn that a pack of evil fiends like you are oppressing its ruler. I have therefore displayed my prowess to govern the state and drive out the wicked. I was just looking for you, and now you come to meet your death.” Hearing this, the fiend, knowing not his own advantage, thrust his long spear at Wukong; Wukong raised his iron staff to meet him head-on. In midair, this was a fine fight: The staff was the treasure that stills the sea in Dragon Palace, The spear was forged from mortal iron on earth. How could common weapons match immortal arms? A single graze would drain one’s spiritual force. The Great Sage was originally a Taiyi Immortal, The fiend was nothing but an evil demon spawn. How could a ghostly thing approach a righteous man? When righteousness appears, evil is destroyed. That one stirred wind and dust to frighten the king, This one trod mist and rode clouds to hide the sun and moon. They cast aside their postures to wager victory— Who without skill would dare boast of heroism? Still the Great Sage Equal to Heaven proved able— With one ringing blow of his staff, the spear snapped in two. The fiend, having his spear broken in two by one blow of Wukong’s iron staff, panicked for his life, turned the wind about, and fled straight westward in defeat. Wukong did not pursue him for the moment. He lowered his cloud and came to outside the underground chamber of the Demon-Avoiding Tower, calling, “Master, please come out with His Majesty—the monster has been driven off.” Then Tang Sanzang helped the king out of the chamber together. Seeing the sky clear and bright, with no trace of evil aura, the emperor went at once to the wine table, took the flagon and cup in his own hands, filled a gold goblet, and offered it to Wukong, saying, “Divine monk, accept my humble thanks.” Wukong took the goblet, but before he could reply, an official outside the court gate reported, “A fire has broken out at the west gate.” Hearing this, Wukong flung the gold goblet and wine into the air—with a clang, the goblet fell to the ground. The king, flustered, bowed and said, “Divine monk, forgive me, forgive me—it is my fault. I should have invited you to the hall to give proper thanks, but since this convenient wine was here, I offered it on the spot. Yet you threw down the goblet—does that not mean you take offense?” Wukong laughed, “That is not it, not it.” Shortly after, another official reported, “What a fine rain! Just as the west gate caught fire, a great downpour extinguished it. The streets are running with water, all reeking of wine.” Wukong laughed again, “Your Majesty, you saw me toss the goblet and suspected I was offended—but no. That fiend, fleeing west, set this fire because I did not pursue him. That one cup of wine was my quenching of the fiend’s fire, saving the households inside and outside the west city—how could there be any other intent?” The king was even more delighted and respectful. He at once invited the four from Tang Sanzang’s group to ascend the hall together, and there was a hint of yielding the throne and kingdom. Wukong laughed, “Your Majesty, that fiend just now called himself the vanguard under the Grand Duke Who Outdoes the Year, sent to take palace maidens. Now that he has fled in defeat, he will surely report to that scoundrel, and that scoundrel will certainly come to fight me. I fear that if he raises his troops and brings his host at once, he may again startle and harm the common people, and frighten Your Majesty. So I wish to go and meet him halfway, seize him in midair, and recover the Holy Mother. But I do not know which direction to take—how far is it from here to his mountain cave?” The king said, “I once sent scouts on horseback to probe for news; a round trip takes over fifty days. It lies to the south, some three thousand li away.” Hearing this, Wukong called, “Eight Rules, Sand Monk, guard this place—Old Sun is off.” The king tugged at him, “Divine monk, pray take a day’s ease and let us prepare some dried provisions and roasted grain, give you some travel silver, and choose a swift horse—only then may you go.” Wukong laughed, “Your Majesty speaks of walking over mountains and crossing ridges on foot. I, Old Sun, will not hide it from you—for a distance like three thousand li, by the time wine in a cup has not yet cooled, I can make a round trip.” The king said, “Divine monk, do not take offense at my words—your august countenance looks rather like that of an ape—how can you have such magical power as to travel so swiftly?” Wukong said: “Though my form is of the ape kind, From youth I opened the road of life and death. I sought wise masters far and wide to pass on the Way, Cultivating before the mountains, heedless of dawn or dusk. I made Heaven my roof and Earth my furnace, With two elixir substances binding the sun and moon. I took Yin and Yang, water and fire, and mixed them, And in an instant I pierced the Mysterious Gate. All relied on the arts of the Great Dipper’s revolutions, And also on the movements of the Handle’s shifting steps. I withdrew the furnace and advanced the fire in due season, Drawing out lead and adding mercury, each attending the other. I gathered the Five Elements to produce transformation, Uniting the Four Images and dividing time’s degrees. The Two Energies returned within the Yellow Path, The Three Families met upon the Golden Elixir Road. When I comprehended the law and spread it through my limbs, My original somersault came as if by spirit aid. One leap clears the Taihang Mountains, One bound crosses the Lingyun Ferry. Why fear ranges of thousands of peaks? Why dread the Yangzi’s hundredfold torrents? Because my transformations are without obstruction— One somersault is a hundred and eight thousand li!” Hearing this, the king was both startled and overjoyed. Smiling, he held out an imperial cup of wine to Wukong, saying, “Divine monk, you have traveled far—take this cup as a token of my regard.” But the Great Sage was intent on subduing the fiend and had no mind for wine; he only said, “Put it aside—I will drink it after I return.” With a cry of “Go!” he gave a whistle and vanished without a trace. The entire court of king and ministers was left in astonishment. Now Wukong, with a single spring of his body, soon saw a high mountain blocking the mist and clouds. He lowered his cloud and stood upon its peak, scrutinizing it carefully. What a fine mountain: It soared to Heaven and filled the earth, Shading the sun and breeding clouds. Where it soared, sharp peaks stood tall; Where it filled the earth, distant ridges stretched far. Shading the sun were the dense pines on the crests; Breeding clouds were the glittering crags below. The pines, dense, stayed green through all four seasons and eight festivals; The crags, glittering, remained unchanged for myriad ages and a thousand years. In the woods, one often heard night gibbons cry; In the ravines, one always heard demon pythons pass. Mountain birds called plaintively; Mountain beasts roared hoarsely. Mountain antelopes and deer, in pairs and couples, scampered in throngs; Mountain crows and magpies, in flocks and squadrons, flew thickly. Mountain grasses and flowers were endless to behold; Mountain peaches and fruits gleamed with seasonal freshness. Though perilous and hard to traverse, It was a place where immortals and demons secluded themselves. The Great Sage gazed on without wearying and was just about to search for the cave mouth when he saw a blazing fire burst out from a hollow in the mountain. In an instant, crimson flames filled the sky, and from within the red flames there gushed a vile smoke, more noxious than the fire. What a smoke! See: The firelight burst forth in ten thousand golden lamps, The flames flew in a thousand crimson rainbows. That smoke was not chimney smoke, nor smoke from grass or wood— The smoke had five colors: green, red, white, black, and yellow. It scorched the pillars outside the South Heaven Gate, And singed the beams of the Hall of Miraculous Mist. It burned so that beasts in their dens had their hides rotted away, And birds in the forest had all their feathers stripped. Seeing how vicious this smoke was, How could one enter the deep mountain to subdue the fiend king? As Sun the Great Sage was still in dread, he saw a blast of sand burst forth from the mountain. What sand! Truly it veiled the sky and hid the sun. Look: Drifting and whirling, it filled the horizon; Dense and swirling, it covered the great earth. The fine dust blurred men’s eyes wherever it went; The coarse ash rolled like sesame through every valley. Immortal lads gathering herbs lost their companions; Woodcutters felling firewood could not find their homes. Even with a bright pearl in hand, In a moment their eyes would be dazzled and blurred. This Pilgrim was entirely absorbed in watching and playing, when without realizing it, sand and ash flew into his nose, making it ticklish, and he sneezed twice. He at once turned his head, reached out his hand, and from beneath the cliff picked two pebbles, which he stuffed up his nostrils. Then he shook himself and changed into a fire-gathering kite, flying into the midst of the smoke and flames. After swooping about several times, the sand and ash were gone, and the smoke and fire died out. He hastily resumed his true form and descended, then looked again. He heard only the clang-clang-clang of a copper gong. Then he said, "I've taken the wrong path—this isn't the demon's dwelling place. That gong sounds like a courier's gong. It must be the main highway of the kingdom, where couriers are delivering documents. Let old Sun go ask about it." As he was walking along, he suddenly saw what appeared to be a minor demon, carrying a yellow banner on his shoulder, a document on his back, and striking his gong, running toward him as swift as the wind. Smiling, Pilgrim said, "So it's this fellow making the gong noise. I wonder what letter he's delivering? Let me listen in." Splendid Great Sage—he shook himself and changed into a tiny insect, lightly flying onto the demon's packet. He heard the demon, striking his gong, muttering and chattering to himself: "My king is indeed too cruel. Three years ago he went to the Zhu-Zi Kingdom and forcibly seized the Golden Sage Empress. All this time, fate has not favored him, and he has never been able to touch her. He has only tormented the palace ladies who were demanded to take her place. Two came and were done away with; four came and were done away with too. The year before last he demanded them, last year he demanded them, this year he demanded them, and now he is demanding them again. But this time he has met his match—that vanguard who went to demand palace ladies was defeated by someone called Sun Xingzhe, and no ladies were sent. My king has flown into a rage over this and wants to make war on that kingdom, sending me to deliver some kind of challenge. If this challenge reaches them, if the king does not fight, he may be spared; if he does fight, he will surely lose. My king will use smoke, fire, and flying sand—then not a single soul among the king, his ministers, his subjects, or his commoners will survive. When that happens, we will seize their city, the king will declare himself emperor, and we will declare ourselves his ministers. Though we might have some ranks and titles, great or small, Heaven's justice can hardly tolerate it." When Pilgrim heard this, he was secretly pleased and thought: "Even demons can have good intentions. Those last words of his—'Heaven's justice can hardly tolerate it'—aren't they good? But when he said the Golden Sage Empress all this time has not been favored by fate and he has never been able to touch her, I don't understand what that means. Let me ask him." With a buzz, he flew away from the demon in one wingbeat, turned ahead along the road, and after ten or more li, shook himself and changed once more, into a Daoist acolyte: On his head were twin topknots, On his body a hundred-patched robe. In his hand he struck fish-drum and clappers, From his mouth he sang Daoist ballads. Rounding the hillside, he met the lesser demon head-on, made a saluting gesture, and said, "Officer, where are you going? What official document are you delivering?" The demon, as if recognizing him, stopped his gong mallet and, grinning, returned the salute, saying, "My king has sent me to the Zhu-Zi Kingdom to deliver a challenge." Pilgrim took up the question: "That business in the Zhu-Zi Kingdom—has she been united with the king yet?" The lesser demon said, "Ever since she was brought here the year before last, there was at once an immortal who sent a five-colored immortal robe for the Golden Sage to adorn herself with. Once she put it on, her entire body sprouted needles and thorns. My king dare not even touch her—if he so much as grazes her, his palm aches. No one knows why. From then until now, he has never been able to touch her. This morning he sent the vanguard to demand palace ladies to attend her, but this Sun Xingzhe defeated him. The king, enraged, has sent me to deliver a challenge, and tomorrow he will do battle." Pilgrim said, "Why is the king so upset?" The lesser demon said, "He is upset about that very thing. Go sing him a Daoist ballad or two to lift his spirits." Excellent Pilgrim—he made a bow, withdrew his hand, and turned to go. The demon continued on, striking his gong as before. But Pilgrim then turned violent—he drew out his staff, wheeled around, and struck the lesser demon once on the back of the head. Alas—his head was smashed, blood and brains gushed out, his skin split, his neck broke, and his life was ended. After putting away his staff, Pilgrim chided himself: "I was too hasty—I never asked his name. Oh well." Then he took down the challenge letter and hid it in his sleeve. He hid the yellow banner and copper gong in the grass by the roadside. As he grabbed the demon's feet to fling him down into the ravine, he heard a clang—from his waist dangled a gold-inlaid ivory name-tally. On the tally was inscribed: "One trusted lesser scout, named Youlai Youqu. Short of stature, pockmarked face, no beard. Always wears this on his belt; without it, he is an impostor." Smiling, Pilgrim said, "This fellow's name is 'Youlai Youqu'—'Comes and Goes.' With that one blow of my staff, he's 'Youqu Wulai'—'Gone and Never Comes'!" He unfastened the tally and put it around his own waist. He was about to fling the corpse away when he thought again of the poison of smoke and fire, and dared not yet seek out the demon's lair. So he raised his staff, thrust it once into the lesser demon's chest, hoisted him up in midair, and made straight back to his own kingdom, intending to report a first success. See him, lost in his own thoughts, give a whistle and arrive at the kingdom's border. Now Bajie, who was in front of the Golden Chimes Hall guarding the king and the master, suddenly looked up and saw Pilgrim in midair carrying a demon on his staff. He complained, "Ai! This is small potatoes. If old Pig had known, he'd have captured him himself—wouldn't that have counted as my merit?" Before he finished speaking, Pilgrim descended on a cloud and flung the demon down before the steps. Bajie ran up and struck it with his rake, saying, "This is old Pig's achievement." Pilgrim said, "What achievement is yours?" Bajie said, "Don't deny me—I have a witness. Don't you see the nine holes I raked into him?" Pilgrim said, "Look and see if he has a head or not." Bajie laughed, "So he's headless—no wonder he didn't move when I raked him." Pilgrim said, "Where is the master?" Bajie said, "In the hall, talking with the king." Pilgrim said, "Go and invite him out." Bajie hurried up the hall and nodded his head. Sanzang at once rose and came down from the hall to meet Pilgrim. Pilgrim tucked the challenge letter into Sanzang's sleeve, saying, "Keep this for me, Master, but don't let the king see it yet." Before he had finished speaking, the king also came down from the hall, met Pilgrim, and said, "Holy monk and elder, you've returned? How goes the demon-capturing business?" Pilgrim pointed with his finger, "Isn't that the demon right there at the foot of the steps? Old Sun has killed him." When the king saw it, he said, "It is indeed a demon corpse, but it is not Sai Tai Sui. I have seen Sai Tai Sui twice with my own eyes—his body is ten feet eight tall, his shoulders five spans broad; his face is like golden light, his voice like thunder. How could he be this low and vulgar?" Smiling, Pilgrim said, "Your Majesty knows rightly; indeed this is not him. This was a scout demon who ran into old Sun. I killed him first and brought him back to report my merit." The king was greatly pleased and said, "Good, good, good—this must count as first merit. I have often sent men to scout, but never obtained any reliable intelligence. Yet once a holy monk like you goes out, you capture one and bring him back—truly divine powers indeed." He called out, "Bring warm wine to congratulate the elder on his achievement." Pilgrim said, "Drinking wine is still a small matter. I ask Your Majesty: when the Golden Sage left, did she leave behind any token? Give me some." When the king heard the words "token," it was as though a knife or sword had pierced his heart—he could not hold back his voice, and tears fell as he spoke: "In that bright festival of old, we hailed the summer's flame, When the fierce Tai-Sui demon raised his fearsome cry and came. He seized my royal consort to be his stronghold's queen— I gave her up to save my people, as a ruler's mean. No parting words, no meeting words, were ever spoken then, No farewell pavilion, no short-storied inn. The sachet token—all is lost, without a single trace; And thus I'm left forsaken, in this lonely, bitter place." Pilgrim said, "Your Majesty is near at hand—why be so vexed? Since the Consort has no token, does she have some cherished object in the palace? Give me one." The king said, "What do you want it for?" Pilgrim said, "That demon king truly has supernatural powers. I saw him emit smoke, fire, and sand—he is indeed hard to subdue. Even if I subdued him, I fear the Consort, seeing my unfamiliar face, would refuse to return with me to the kingdom. I must obtain some object she daily cherishes, so she will trust me, and I can bring her back. That is why I need to take it." The king said, "In the dressing pavilion of the Zhaoyang Palace, there is a pair of golden treasure bracelets, originally worn by the Golden Saint Consort. On that Dragon Boat Festival day, she took them off to bind five-colored silk threads and never put them back on. These are her cherished things, now kept in her cosmetic case. Since I saw her suffer this parting, I cannot bear to look at them; the moment I see them, it is as if I see her jade countenance, and my illness grows heavier." Pilgrim said, "Say no more of this; just bring the gold bracelets. If you can bear to part with them, give me both; if not, let me take only one." The king then ordered the Jade Saint Palace to fetch them. They were taken out and handed to the king. The king, seeing them, cried out several times, "My consort who knew my warmth and pain!" and then handed them to Pilgrim. Pilgrim took them and slipped them onto his arm. Now the great Sage, not even drinking the victory wine, mounted his somersault cloud, gave a whistle, and was once more at Qilin Mountain. He had no heart for scenery but went straight to find the cave. As he was going, he heard the clamor of voices and halted to gaze fixedly. It turned out that at the mouth of the Xiezhi Cave, the rank-and-file headmen on guard, about five hundred strong, were there: Densely arrayed, closely ranked. Densely arrayed, bearing shields and spears, gleaming in the sunlight; closely ranked, spreading banners and flags, fluttering and flashing in the wind. Tiger generals and bear commanders could transform; leopard chieftains and wolf marshals displayed their prowess. Grey wolves were fierce and violent; otters and elephants were more valiant still. Cunning hares and crafty deer wielded swords and halberds; long snakes and pythons carried knives and bows. The orangutans could understand human speech, leading the ranks and setting camp, knowing wind and tide. When Pilgrim saw this, he dared not advance and turned back the way he came. Why did he turn back? Not because he feared them. He went to the place where he had killed the little demons, found the yellow flag and bronze gong, faced the wind, made a mudra, imagined his transformation, and shook himself into the likeness of Comes-and-Goes. Clanging the gong, he strode forward with great steps straight to the Xiezhi Cave. Just as he was about to take in the cave scenery, he heard an orangutan speak: "Comes-and-Goes, you're back?" Pilgrim had no choice but to answer, "I'm back." The orangutan said, "Quick, go—the Great King is waiting for your report at the Flaying Pavilion." When Pilgrim heard this, he strode forward, clanging the gong, and entered the front gate. He saw that it was a place of overhanging cliffs and sheer precipices, stone huts and empty halls, with marvelous flowers and fairy grasses left and right, and ancient cedars and tall pines before and behind. Before he knew it, he was inside the second gate, and raising his head, he saw a pavilion with eight bright windows. In the center of the pavilion was a gilt-inlaid armchair, and on the armchair sat a demon king, truly of hideous appearance. He looked like: On his crown flickered hazy rainbow light, from his chest burst fearsome killing aura. From his mouth jutted fangs like sharp blades; from his temples, singed hair sprayed red smoke. His whiskers stood like arrows; his bristling body-fur was like layered felt. His protruding eyes, like copper bells, defied the Grand Year God; in his hand he held an iron club as if to scrape the sky. When Pilgrim saw this, he acted with open insolence toward the monster, observing none of the formalities: he turned his face outward and kept on clanging the gong. The demon king asked, "You're back?" Pilgrim did not answer. He asked again, "Comes-and-Goes, you're back?" Still no answer. The demon king stepped forward and tugged at him: "Why do you keep beating the gong when you've reached home, and not answer when asked—why?" Pilgrim threw the gong to the ground and said, "What 'why' and 'why'? I said I wouldn't go, but you made me go. When I got there, I saw countless troops arrayed in battle formation. When they saw me, they all shouted, 'Catch the demon, catch the demon!' They pushed and pulled me, dragged and carried me, and took me into the city. When I saw the king, he ordered, 'Behead him!' Fortunately, the two ranks of counselors said, 'When two sides are at war, do not behead the envoy.' They let me off. They took the war letter, then escorted me out of the city, gave me thirty lashes on the legs before the troops, and sent me back to report. He'll soon come here to fight you." The demon king said, "So you've taken a beating—no wonder you wouldn't speak when asked." Pilgrim said, "Isn't that so? I was just nursing the pain, which is why I didn't answer." The demon king said, "How many troops are there?" Pilgrim said, "I was dazed with fright and cowed by the beating—how could I count their numbers? I only saw a dense array of weapons: Bows, arrows, swords, spears, armor and robes, shields, halberds, swords, tassels and flags. Pikes, moon-blades, helmets and mail, great axes, round shields, iron caltrops. Long cudgels, short mallets, steel forks, blunderbusses, plane-irons, and helmets. They were decked in boots, headgear and padded jackets, sling-bullets, spirit-pellets, and bronze mallets." When the king heard this, he laughed and said, "No matter, no matter. With weapons like these, one blast will clear them all. Go and tell the Golden Saint Consort not to fret. This morning, when she heard me raging and determined to fight, she could not stop her tears. Now go and tell her that their troops are fierce and will surely defeat me—that will ease her mind for a while." When Pilgrim heard this, he was overjoyed: "Exactly what old Sun wanted!" See how familiar he was with the way—turning past the corner gate and crossing the hall. Inside there were all lofty halls and great mansions, quite unlike the front. He went straight to the rear palace, and from afar saw the splendid painted gate—it was the Golden Saint Consort's dwelling. Going straight inside, he saw two rows of demon foxes and demon deer, each made up in the form of beautiful women, standing in attendance left and right. In the very center sat the Consort, her cheek resting on her hand, tears in both eyes. Truly: Her jade countenance delicate and tender, her beauty alluring. Too lazy to dress, her loosened locks piled like crows; fearing adornment, she wore no hairpins or bracelets. No powder on her face—cold and forsaken the rouge; no oil in her hair—tangled her cloudy tresses. Her cherry lips pursed, she bit her silver teeth; her moth brows knitted, tears drowned her starry eyes. Her whole heart remembered only the king of Zhu-Zi; in that moment, she longed to escape the net of heaven and earth. Truly: since ancient times, fair faces have often known ill fate; listlessly speechless, she faced the east wind. Pilgrim stepped forward and made a salute: "Greetings." The Consort said, "You rude rustic monster, utterly outrageous! In the days when I shared glory and honor with the king in the Zhu-Zi Kingdom, even the Grand Tutor and the Prime Minister would prostrate themselves in the dust and dare not look up. How dare this wild monster cry out 'Greetings'? Where did such an unmannered brute come from?" The attendant maids stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, calm your anger. He is the Great King's trusted little officer, named Comes-and-Goes. He was sent with the war letter this morning." When the Consort heard this, she suppressed her anger and asked, "When you delivered the war letter, did you reach the borders of the Zhu-Zi Kingdom?" Pilgrim said, "I took the letter straight into the city, to the Golden Luan Hall, and presented it to the king in person—I have brought back a reply." The Consort said, "When you faced the king, what did he say?" Pilgrim said, "I've already told the Great King about the king's words of battle and his troop deployments. But the king also has thoughts of you, Consort, and there is one heartfelt word he spoke—I have come especially to report it to you. But with all these people about, this is not the place to speak." When the Empress heard this, she dismissed the two rows of fox and deer attendants. Pilgrim closed the palace gates, wiped his face with his hand, revealed his true form, and said to the Empress, "Do not be afraid of me. I am a monk sent by the Great Tang of the East to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures at Thunderclap Monastery in the Great Western Heaven, in the Kingdom of India. My master is the Tang Emperor's sworn younger brother, Tripitaka of the Tang. I am his eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. Because we passed through your kingdom to exchange our passport, I saw your ruler and his ministers issue a proclamation seeking a physician. I greatly applied my threefold bending of the arm and cured his lovesickness, whereupon he held a feast to thank me. During the drinking, he told me that you had been carried off by a demon. I know how to subdue dragons and tame tigers, so he specially invited me to capture the monster and rescue you back to your kingdom. The vanguard I defeated in battle was I, and the little demon I killed was also I. When I saw how ferocious he was outside his gate, I changed into the likeness of Youlai Youqu, risked my life to come here, and brought you this message." When the Empress heard this, she fell silent and pondered. Pilgrim took out the precious bracelet and presented it with both hands, saying, "If you do not believe me, look at this object—where did it come from?" As soon as the Empress saw it, she shed tears, descended from her seat, and bowed in thanks, saying, "Elder, if you truly can rescue me and return me to court, I shall never forget your great kindness even to my dying day." Pilgrim said, "Let me ask you: that thing of his that emits fire, smoke, and sand—what sort of treasure is it?" The Empress said, "That is no treasure at all; it is three golden bells. With the first one he shakes, three hundred feet of blazing fire burst forth to burn people; with the second he shakes, three hundred feet of smoke arise to suffocate people; with the third he shakes, three hundred feet of yellow sand arise to bewilder people. Fire and smoke are not so serious, but the yellow sand is most poisonous—if it enters a person's nostrils, it will take their life." Pilgrim said, "Formidable, formidable. I have already been hit by it and sneezed twice. But I do not know where he keeps his bells." The Empress said, "He would never put them down; he always wears them at his waist, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—never parting from them." Pilgrim said, "If you still have regard for the Kingdom of Zhuzi and wish to be reunited with the king, then for the moment set aside your worries and sorrows, put on a happy and charming countenance, and show him the affection of husband and wife. Get him to give you the bells for safekeeping. Then I will find a chance to steal them, subdue this fiend, and then I can take you back to renew your union with the phoenix and enjoy peace together." The Empress followed his advice. Pilgrim then changed back into the trusted young attendant, opened the palace gates, and summoned the serving maids. The Empress called out, "Youlai Youqu, quickly go to the front pavilion and invite your Great King here—I wish to speak with him." The good Pilgrim responded and went straight to the Flaying Pavilion, where he said to the fiend, "Great King, the Empress of the Sacred Palace invites you." The fiend was delighted and said, "The Empress usually only scolds me—why does she invite me today?" Pilgrim said, "I told the Empress about the affairs of the King of Zhuzi, saying: 'He no longer wants you; in his kingdom he has installed another queen.' When the Empress heard that, she lost all hope, and that is why she sent me to invite you." The fiend was greatly pleased and said, "You are useful indeed. When I have destroyed that kingdom, I will make you Grand Chancellor of the court." Pilgrim hastened to thank him for the favor and quickly accompanied the fiend to the entrance of the rear palace. The Empress welcomed them with a joyful countenance and reached out to take his hand. The fiend stepped back with a bow and said, "I dare not, I dare not. I am deeply grateful for your favor, Your Highness, but I fear your hand might hurt, so I dare not come near." The Empress said, "Great King, please be seated; I have something to tell you." The fiend said, "Whatever you have to say, say it freely." The Empress said, "I have been favored by you, Great King, for three years now, yet we have never shared a pillow or quilt. It must have been the fate of a former life that made us husband and wife in this life. But now I find that you have a mind to alienate me and do not treat me as a wife should be treated. I recall when I was queen in the Kingdom of Zhuzi, whenever foreign states sent tribute treasures, after the king had looked at them, he would surely give them to the queen to keep. Here you have no treasures at all; your attendants wear furs and eat bloody meat—they have never seen brocade, silk, gold, or pearls. All you have is leather mats and blankets. Even if you do have some treasures, you keep them from me, do not let me see them, and do not entrust them to me. For example, I have heard that you have three little bells—they must be treasures. Why do you always carry them when walking and when sitting? You could give them to me for safekeeping, and when you need them, take them out again—there is no harm in that. This too is part of being husband and wife for a lifetime, and a sign of trust between intimates. If you do not entrust them to me, is that not a sign that you alienate me?" The fiend laughed heartily and apologized, saying, "Your Highness is right to blame me, right to blame me. Here are the treasures; today I shall hand them over to you for safekeeping." Then he lifted his clothes to take out the treasure. Pilgrim stood by, watching without blinking, as the monster lifted two or three layers of clothing to reveal the three bells worn next to his body. He untied them, stuffed their mouths with cotton, wrapped them in a bundle of leopard skin, and handed them to the Empress, saying, "Though these objects are humble, you must take great care in storing them; above all, do not shake them." The Empress took them and said, "I understand. I will place them on this dressing table, where no one will shake them." She called out, "Attendants, prepare wine—I wish to celebrate joyously with the Great King and drink a few cups." When the serving maids heard this, they set out fruits and dishes, put out meats of roe deer and hare, and poured coconut wine to offer. The Empress put on coquettish airs to coax the spirit. Sun Wukong, seizing the opportunity, edged closer and closer, approaching the dressing table. He gently took the three golden bells, moved slowly step by step, slipped out of the palace gates, and left the cave dwelling directly. When he reached the front of the Flaying Pavilion, where no one was around, he spread out the leopard-skin wrapping and looked: the middle bell was the size of a teacup, and the two at either end were the size of fists. Not knowing their power, he pulled off the cotton. Suddenly there was a loud clang, and with a roaring burst, smoke, fire, and yellow sand spewed forth—he could not stop them, and the whole pavilion blazed up. The startled gate demons rushed in a crowd into the rear palace, alarming the fiend, who hurriedly shouted, "Put out the fire! Put out the fire!" When he came out to look, he saw that it was Youlai Youqu who had taken the golden bells. The fiend stepped forward and cried out, "You base slave! How dare you steal my golden bell treasure and make mischief here?" He shouted, "Seize him! Seize him!" At once the tiger general, bear master, leopard chief, puma commander, otter elephant, ashen wolf, clever roe, cunning hare, long serpent, great python, and orangutan—all the demon leaders—together with the host of demons, converged upon him. That Pilgrim, flustered, dropped the golden bell, revealed his true form, whipped out his Golden-Banded Cudgel of Compliance, and with all his skill displayed, struck wildly about him. The demon king, having recovered his treasure, gave the order: "Bar the front gate." At this, the lesser demons barred the gate and joined the battle. The Pilgrim, finding it hard to escape, put away his staff, shook himself, and changed into a common fly, clinging to a fireless stone wall. The demons searched but could not find him, and reported, "Great King, the thief has escaped, the thief has escaped!" The demon king asked, "Did he go out through the gate?" All the demons replied, "The front gate is tightly locked and bolted; he has not gone out." The demon king only said, "Search carefully." Some fetched water to douse the flames, some searched thoroughly, but there was no trace. The demon king angrily said, "What sort of thief is this? How audacious—he took the form of Youlai Youqu, came in to report to me, then stayed by my side and seized the chance to steal my treasure. Fortunately he did not carry it out. If he had taken it out of the mountain and exposed it to the wind of heaven, how would that have been good?" Tiger General stepped forward and said, "The Great King's vast fortune reaches to heaven, and our allotted span is not yet spent; hence we sensed it in time." Bear Marshal stepped forward and said, "Great King, this thief is none other than that Sun Wukong who defeated our vanguard. He must have met Youlai Youqu on the road, killed him, seized the yellow banner, bronze gong, and ivory tablet, changed into his form, and come here to deceive the Great King." The demon king said, "Exactly, exactly—your reasoning is sound." He ordered, "My little ones, search thoroughly and be on guard; by no means open the gate and let him escape." This is what is called: Turning cleverness into folly, Playing turns into reality. But whether Pilgrim Sun could escape from the demon's gate—hear it in the next chapter.