Chapter 71

Form is emptiness since ages old; emptiness is form, as we are told. If one can grasp the Chan of form and void, why need elixirs be employed? Cultivate virtue fully without rest; endure the bitter toil of practice. When merit is complete, one shall ascend to heaven, with immortal visage unchanged forever. Now the Great Sage Sun, having transformed into a sluggish fly, was clinging to the door. Seeing that the defenses in front were extremely tight, he spread his wings and flew into the rear palace. Looking around, he saw the Golden Holy Mother leaning over the imperial desk, weeping clear tears, her sobs faint and sorrowful. The Pilgrim flew inside and lightly alighted upon her loose, disheveled hair, listening to what she was weeping about. After a moment, the lady suddenly cried out: "My lord and husband! In a former life we burned a broken-headed incense, and in this life we have met this violent demon king. We have been parted like phoenixes for three years—when shall we meet again? Separated like mandarin ducks in two places, we grieve. The elder sent by you only brought a message, but it startled apart our happy union and cost a life. It is only because those golden bells are so hard to unlock that my longing is wilder than before." When the Pilgrim heard this, he moved behind her ear and whispered softly: "Holy Mother, do not be afraid. I am still the divine monk Elder Sun sent by your kingdom; I have not lost my life. It was only because I was too impatient that I stole the golden bells near your dressing table. While you were drinking with the demon king, I slipped away from the front pavilion and could not resist opening them to look. But I pulled the cotton stopper, and the bells rang once, bursting forth smoke, fire, and yellow sand. I lost my composure and dropped the bells, then revealed my true form and fought with my iron staff, but could not break out. Fearing I might fall into their hands, I changed into this fly and have been clinging to the door hinge, hiding until now. The demon king has grown even more watchful and will not open the doors. You must use the rites of husband and wife to coax him in to sleep, so I may escape and plan some other way to rescue you." When the lady heard these words, she trembled, her hair seeming to be pulled by a spirit; she was fearful, her heart pounding like a pestle. With tearful eyes she said: "Are you a man or a ghost now?" The Pilgrim said: "I am neither man nor ghost; I have now turned into this fly. Do not be afraid—go quickly and invite the demon king." The lady did not believe him and whispered tearfully: "Do not haunt me." The Pilgrim said: "How would I dare to haunt you? If you do not believe me, spread open your hand and let me jump down so you can see." The lady indeed opened her left palm, and the Pilgrim lightly flew down, landing in her jade-like hand. He looked just like a black bean on a lotus bud, a wandering bee resting on a peony blossom; a grape fallen in the heart of an embroidered ball, or a dark spot on a lily branch. The Golden Holy Mother raised her jade palm and called out: "Divine monk." The Pilgrim answered with a hum: "I am the divine monk transformed." Only then did the lady believe him. She whispered: "When I go to invite that demon king, what will you do?" The Pilgrim said: "The ancients said: 'Wine alone sends off one's life,' and also: 'Nothing dispels all cares like wine.' Wine has many uses, but your best course is to drink with him. Call in one of your personal maidservants and point her out to me. I will take her form and wait on you nearby—then I can act." The lady indeed followed his advice and called out: "Chunjiao, where are you?" From behind the screen emerged a jade-faced fox, who knelt and said: "What command does the lady have for Chunjiao?" The lady said: "Go tell them to light the gauze lamps, burn musk and camphor, and escort me to the front hall so I may invite the great king to retire." Chunjiao then went to the front and summoned seven or eight strange deer-spirits and fox-spirits, bearing two pairs of lanterns and a pair of incense burners, arranging themselves on both sides. The lady rose and folded her hands, and the Great Sage had already flown away. The clever Pilgrim spread his wings and flew straight to the head of the jade-faced fox. He plucked one of his hairs, blew on it with immortal breath, and said: "Change!" It turned into a drowsiness bug, which he gently placed on her face. Now when this drowsiness bug reaches a person's face, it crawls into their nostrils, and once it enters, they fall asleep. Chunjiao indeed grew drowsy, could not stand steady, swayed and dozed off, then quickly found her sleeping place, threw herself down, and slept soundly, snoring. The Pilgrim jumped down, shook himself, and changed into the exact likeness of Chunjiao. He went behind the screen and stood in rank with the others. Now as the Golden Holy Mother walked forward, some little demons saw her and reported to Sai Tai Sui: "Great King, the lady is coming." The demon king hurried out of the flaying pavilion to welcome her. The lady said: "Great King, now that the smoke and fire have subsided and the thief is nowhere to be found, in the deep of night I have specially come to invite you to retire." The demon was overjoyed and said: "My lady, please take care. That thief just now was Sun Wukong. He defeated my vanguard, killed my officers, slipped in by transformation, and deceived us. Though we have searched everywhere, there is no trace of him—and that makes me uneasy." The lady said: "That fellow must have escaped. Rest assured, Great King, do not worry, and go to bed." The demon, seeing the lady standing respectfully in attendance, dared not refuse, and so ordered all his minions to be careful with fire and candles and to guard against thieves, then went with the lady straight to the rear palace. The Pilgrim, disguised as Chunjiao, was led in by the attending maids on both sides. The lady called out: "Bring wine to ease the great king's weariness." The demon king laughed and said: "Indeed, indeed. Bring wine quickly, so I may drink with you to calm our fright." The false Chunjiao, together with the other monsters, laid out fruits and arranged some meat dishes, and set the tables and chairs. The lady raised her cup, and the demon king also offered a cup to her; the two exchanged their cups. The false Chunjiao stood by, holding the wine pot, and said: "Tonight the great king and the lady are exchanging cups for the first time—please each drain your cup for a double happiness toast." Indeed they each poured another and drained it again. The false Chunjiao then said: "The great king and lady are joyfully met—let the serving maids who can sing offer songs, and those who can dance begin to dance!" Before she finished, a chorus of voices arose in tune, some singing and some dancing. The two drank much more, until the lady called a halt to the singing and dancing. The maids divided into groups and withdrew beyond the screen to stand in formation. Only the false Chunjiao remained holding the wine pot, pouring wine for them up and down. The lady and the demon king spoke only of husband-and-wife matters. With amorous looks and tender words, the lady so charmed the demon king that his bones grew soft and his sinews weak. Yet he was unlucky and could not touch her. Pitiable! Truly like a cat biting a bladder—all empty joy. After they had chatted for a while and laughed for a while, the Consort asked, "Great King, was the precious treasure not damaged at all?" The demon king said, "This precious treasure was cast and forged from primordial matter—how could it be damaged? It is only that the thief tore open the stopper's cotton and burned the leopard-skin wrapping." The Consort said, "How did you manage it?" The demon king said, "No need to manage it—I have it at my waist." When the false Chunjiao heard these words, she at once plucked out a handful of her fine hairs, chewed them to bits, gently drew near the demon king, placed the hairs upon his body, blew three puffs of immortal breath upon them, and secretly commanded: "Change!" Those fine hairs then transformed into three kinds of vile creatures—lice, fleas, and bedbugs—which burrowed into the demon king's body and bit him everywhere against his skin. The demon king, unable to bear the maddening itch, thrust his hand into his bosom to rub and scratch, and with his fingers pinched out several lice, which he brought near the lamp to look at. When the Consort saw this, she said thoughtfully, "Great King, I imagine your undergarments are soiled and have long gone unwashed—that is why these creatures have appeared." The demon king, ashamed, said, "I have never had such creatures on me before; how is it that tonight of all nights I should be so disgraced?" The Consort laughed and said, "Why should the King speak of disgrace? As the saying goes, 'Even the Emperor's body bears three imperial lice.' Pray take off your clothes, and let me catch them for you." The demon king indeed untied his belt and removed his garments. The false Chunjiao, standing by, watched intently as upon each layer of the demon king's clothing fleas leaped about, and upon every garment great bedbugs crawled; mother-lice and child-lice clustered thickly, as numerous as ants emerging from a nest. Before she knew it, she had uncovered the third layer down to the flesh, and upon the golden bells themselves they swarmed in countless numbers. The false Chunjiao said, "Great King, hand me the bells, so that I too may catch lice for you." The demon king, partly embarrassed and partly flustered, could not tell true from false, and handed the three bells to the false Chunjiao. The false Chunjiao received them in her hands and made a show of examining them for some time. Seeing that the demon king had his head lowered as he shook out his clothes, she then hid the golden bells, plucked out one of her fine hairs, and transformed it into three bells identical in every way. She held them up before the lamp and inspected them, then gave her body a squirming shake, gathering the lice, bedbugs, and fleas back onto herself, and handed the false golden bells to the monster. The monster took them in his hands, utterly bewildered and at a loss—how could he tell what was true or false? Holding the bells in both hands, he presented them to the Consort and said, "This time you must keep them well hidden, and be extremely careful—do not let it happen as before." The Consort took them, gently opened her clothes chest, put away the false bells, and locked them with a golden lock. She then drank a few more cups of wine with the demon king and ordered the serving maids: "Sweep clean the ivory bed, spread out the embroidered coverlet—I shall share the night with the King." The demon king, repeatedly nodding, said, "Unworthy, unworthy—I dare not keep you company. I shall take a palace maid and go sleep in the Western Palace. Your Highness, pray make yourself comfortable." And so each retired to their own sleeping quarters, of which we shall say no more. Now the false Chunjiao, having succeeded in her plot, carried the treasure at her waist, revealed her true form, gave her body a shake, withdrew the sleeping insects, and went straight ahead. She heard the watchmen's clappers and bells sounding together as the third watch was struck. This excellent Walker, forming the mudra and reciting the true spell, employed the Body-Concealing Method and made his way to the gate, where he saw that the lock and chain were very secure. He then produced his Golden-Banded Cudgel, pointed it at the gate, and used the Lock-Opening Method, whereupon the gate gently swung open. He quickly strode out, stood there, and called out in a loud voice: "Sai Tai Sui, return my Golden Holy Consort to me!" After he had called out two or three times, he startled all the horde of lesser demons, who hurriedly looked about and saw that the front gate was open. They at once lit lamps, found the lock, and secured the gate once more. Several of them ran inside to report: "Great King, someone outside the main gate is calling Your Majesty's title and demanding the Golden Holy Consort." Then the serving maids inside came out of the palace gate and quietly passed word: "Do not shout—the King has only just fallen asleep." Walker again called out loudly before the gate, but the lesser demons did not dare to disturb him. This happened three or four times, and still none dared to report it. The Great Sage kept up his clamor outside, carrying on until daybreak. Unable to contain himself any longer, he swung his iron staff in hand and went up to strike the gate. The horde of lesser demons, great and small, were thrown into panic—some braced the gate, some went to deliver the news. Only then did the demon king awaken from his sleep. Hearing the tumultuous commotion, he rose, put on his clothes, and stepped out from the gauze canopy, asking, "What is all this uproar?" The serving maids all knelt and said, "Grandfather, we know not who it is—someone has been shouting abuse outside the cave for half the night, and now is striking the gate." The demon king walked out of the palace gate and saw the few little demons who had brought the report, kowtowing in great agitation: "Someone outside is shouting abuse and demanding the Golden Holy Palace Consort; at the slightest hint of a 'no,' he spews all manner of foul words, most unpleasant to hear. Now that day has broken and the Great King has not come out, he has forced his way to striking the gate." The demon said, "Do not open the gate just yet. Go ask him where he comes from, and what his name and surname are—come back quickly and report." The little demon hurried out and asked through the gate, "Who is it that strikes the gate?" Walker said, "I am the maternal grandfather sent for by invitation from the Kingdom of Zhu Zi, come to take the Holy Palace Consort back to her country." The little demon, hearing this, returned with the message. The demon then went to the rear palace to investigate the matter. Now the Consort had just risen and had not yet washed or combed her hair when a serving maid came to report: "Grandfather is here." The Consort hastily straightened her clothes, gathered her loose black clouds of hair, and came out of the palace to welcome him. She had barely sat down and had not yet had time to ask anything when another little demon came to report: "That visiting maternal grandfather has already broken the gate down." The demon laughed and said, "Consort, how many generals and commanders does your court have?" The Consort said, "At court there are forty-eight garrisons of troops and a thousand good generals; the commanders-in-chief and regional commanders along the borders are too many to count." The demon king said, "Is there any with the surname Wai (External)?" The Consort said, "While in the palace, I know only of assisting the sovereign within and instructing the consorts and concubines morning and evening; external affairs are beyond my knowledge—how could I remember names and surnames?" The demon king said, "This fellow who comes calls himself 'Wai Gong' (External Grandfather). I recall that in the 'Hundred Family Surnames' there is no such surname as Wai. The Consort, being naturally intelligent, of noble birth, and dwelling in the imperial palace, must have read many books. Do you remember in which book this surname appears?" The Consort said, "Only in the 'Thousand Character Classic' there is the line 'Without, he receives the tutor's instruction'—that must be it." The demon king, delighted, said, "It must be so, it must be so." He at once rose, took leave of the Consort, went to the Flaying Pavilion, made himself fully armed, mustered his demon troops, opened the gate, and went outside, wielding in his hand a splendid bladed battle-axe. In a loud voice he cried out: "Which one is the maternal grandfather from the Kingdom of Zhu Zi?" Walker held his Golden-Banded Cudgel in his right hand and pointed with his left, saying, "Dear nephew, what do you want with me?" When the demon king saw him, he flew into a great rage and said: "Your looks are like a monkey's, your face like an ape's; Seven parts in truth are ghostly, and you dare in insolence to mock men." Walker laughed and said, "You blasphemous and sovereign-deceiving monster, it seems you have no eyes. Think of me when, five hundred years ago, I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace—when the divine generals of the Nine Heavens saw me, not one dared address me without the honorific 'Old'; for you to call me 'maternal grandfather'—how does that shortchange you?" The demon king bellowed, "Tell me quickly your name and surname, and what martial skills you possess, that you dare come here and act so outrageously!" Walker said, "If you do not ask my name, all is well; but if I tell it, I fear you will have nowhere to stand. Step forward, stand steady, and hear me: "My birth-father and birth-mother are Heaven and Earth; The essences of sun and moon formed this sacred embryo. Within the immortal stone I lay for countless years; The numinous root gave life—how wondrous, strange! In that year I emerged, the Three Yangs brought peace; Today I return to truth, all myriad things in harmony. Once I gathered all demons and called myself their chief; I could subdue every monster and bow before the cinnabar cliff." The Jade Emperor issued a decree from his celestial court, and Taibai Jinxing came bearing the imperial edict. He invited me to ascend to heaven and take up a post; the office of Bima was conferred, but it brought me no joy. At first I rebelled and plotted to seize a mountain cave; then boldly I raised troops and made disturbance at the imperial steps. The Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King and his crown prince came, and in one encounter they were utterly routed. Jinxing again reported to the Mysterious Vault Emperor, who once more sent down an edict of amnesty. I was made the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and only then was I worthy to be called a pillar of talent. But then I disrupted the Peach Banquet, and relying on drink, stole the elixir, which brought disaster upon me. Taishang Laojun himself reported to the imperial carriage, and the Queen Mother of the West bowed at the Jasper Terrace. Knowing full well that I had defied the royal law, they immediately mustered heavenly troops and issued the fire-brand talismans. One hundred thousand fierce stars and baleful luminaries, with spears, swords, and halberds arrayed in close ranks. Heaven's net and earth's snare were spread over the mountains, and together they raised their weapons for a great battle. After one ferocious fight with no victory or defeat, Guanyin recommended Erlang to come. The two sides contended to determine who was superior; he had his Mei Mountain brothers with him. Each displayed their heroism and worked transformations; the Three Saints of Heaven's Gate parted the clouds. Laojun cast down his Diamond Lasso, and all the gods seized me and brought me before the golden steps. No need for a detailed written confession—my crime was to be carved and sliced, to suffer death by execution. Axes hewed and hammers struck, but could not harm my life; sabers whirled and swords slashed, yet how could they wound me? Fire burned and thunder struck, but that was all; there was no way to destroy this long-lived body. I was escorted to the Tushita Palace in the Grand Pure Heaven, where they arranged to refine me in the furnace. When the appointed days were complete and they opened the cauldron, I leaped out from within. Gripping this Ruyi Staff, I turned and struck my way up to the Jade Dragon Terrace. All the stars and constellations hid away; I wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace as I pleased. The roaming celestial officer hurriedly invited the Buddha, and Shakyamuni matched his talents against mine. Within his palm I turned somersaults, roaming through all the heavens, going and returning. The Buddha, foreseeing this, used a trick to deceive me, and pressed me down at the edge of heaven. Now over five hundred years have passed; I escaped from that humble frame and again played my tricks. Now I am specially escorting the Tang Monk to the Western Regions; Wukong the Pilgrim understands it well. On the Western Road I subdue demons and monsters—what evil spirit would not fear me!" When that demon king heard him speak of Wukong the Pilgrim, he said, "So you are that fellow who caused great havoc in the Heavenly Palace. Since you have escaped and are escorting the Tang Monk westward, just go your own way—why do you meddle in affairs, acting as a servant for the Zhuzi Kingdom, and come here seeking death?" Pilgrim shouted, "Vile, treacherous monster! Your words are ignorant. I received the respectful invitation of the Zhuzi Kingdom, and I am grateful for their courteous treatment. I, Old Sun, am a thousand times higher than their king; they honor me as a father and serve me as a deity. How dare you utter the word 'servant'? You lying, ruler-deceiving fiend—do not flee, and taste your grandfather's staff!" The demon, flustered, dodged aside and met him head-on with his Xuanhua axe. What a fine battle! Look: The golden-hooped Ruyi staff, the wind-bladed Xuanhua axe. One gnashed his teeth in savage fury, the other clenched his jaws in show of might. This was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven descended to the mortal world; that was the monstrous king who had come to earth. The two sprayed clouds and belted mist that lit the heavenly palace; truly they stirred stones and scattered sand, darkening the starry mansions. Back and forth, countless techniques; over and over, golden light burst forth. Each put forth his own skill, each wagered his own divine powers. This one wished to bring the queen back to the imperial capital; that one was delighted to dwell with the queen in the mountain stronghold. This battle was entirely without cause—they risked death and forgot life for the sake of a ruler. The two fought for fifty rounds without deciding the victor. When the demon king saw that Pilgrim's skill was formidable and knew he could not win, he used his axe to parry the iron staff and said, "Sun Wukong, stop for now. I have not yet had my morning meal today. Let me eat, and then I will come back to settle who is the better." Pilgrim knew full well he was going to fetch the bells, so he withdrew his iron staff and said, "A true hero does not chase a weary hare. Go, go, eat your fill, so you may come and face your death." The demon hastily turned and rushed inside, saying to the queen, "Quickly bring me the treasures." The queen said, "What do you need the treasures for?" The demon king said, "The one who challenged us this morning is a disciple of the monk who fetches the scriptures, named Sun Wukong the Pilgrim, who falsely claims to be your grandfather. I fought with him until now without victory or defeat. Wait until I take the treasures out and let loose some smoke and fire to burn that monkey's head." When the queen heard this, her heart was troubled: she did not wish to bring out the bells, fearing he might suspect her; yet if she brought them out, she feared it might cost Sun Wukong his life. While she was still hesitating, the demon king pressed her again, "Bring them out at once!" The queen had no choice but to open the lock and hand the three bells to the demon king. The demon king took them and walked out of the cave. The queen sat in her palace, tears falling like rain, wondering whether Pilgrim could escape with his life. Neither of them knew that these were counterfeit bells. The demon went out the door and took the upwind position, calling out, "Sun Wukong, do not flee—watch me shake my bells." Pilgrim laughed, "You have bells, so don't I have bells too? If you can shake them, can't I shake them as well?" The demon king said, "What bells do you have? Bring them out and let me see." Pilgrim squeezed his iron staff into the size of an embroidery needle and hid it in his ear. Then he untied from his waist the three true treasures and said to the demon king, "Are these not my Purple-Gold Bells?" When the demon king saw them, he was startled and said, "Strange, strange! How are his bells exactly like my bells? Even if they were cast from the same mold, surely they could not be polished to perfection without some extra flaw or missing knob—how can they be exactly the same without the slightest difference?" He then asked, "Where did your bells come from?" Pilgrim said, "Worthy nephew, where did your bells come from?" The demon king, being honest, said, "My bells are: The Immortal of the Grand Pure has profound roots in the Way; Long in the Eight-Trigram Furnace was gold refined. Thus were the bells formed and called supreme treasures; Laojun left them, and to this day they remain." Pilgrim laughed, "Old Sun's bells also came from that time." The demon king said, "How did they come to be?" Pilgrim said, "My bells are: The Patriarch of the Way burned elixirs in Tushita Palace; The golden bells were forged and refined in the furnace. Two and three make six—a circulating treasure; Mine are female, and yours are male." The demon king said, "Bells are treasures of the golden elixir, not birds or beasts—how can one tell male from female? As long as they produce treasures when shaken, that is good enough." Pilgrim said, "Words are no proof; let deeds show the truth. Let you shake yours first." The demon king truly took the first bell and shook it three times, but no fire came out; he shook the second three times, but no smoke came out; he shook the third three times, but no sand came out. The demon king was flustered and said, "Strange, strange! The ways of the world have changed—these bells must fear their wives. When the male sees the female, they refuse to come out." Pilgrim said, "Worthy nephew, stop your hand, and let me shake mine for you to see." This fine monkey grabbed all three bells at once and shook them together. Look—the red fire, green smoke, and yellow sand rolled forth together, billowing and blazing, scorching the trees and burning the mountains. The Great Sage then recited a spell and called toward the Xun quarter, "Wind, come!" Truly, the wind drove the fire's fury, and the fire seized the wind's might—red flames blazing, black smoke sinking, filling the sky with fire and smoke, covering the earth with yellow sand. The demon Sai Tai Sui was so terrified that his soul scattered and his spirit fled; he had no way to escape. Amid that raging fire, how could he save his life? Suddenly a stern voice called out from midair: "Sun Wukong, I have come." The Great Sage whirled around and looked up, and it was none other than Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a pure vase in her left hand and a willow branch in her right, sprinkling sweet dew to quench the fire. In haste, the Great Sage hid the bell at his waist, pressed his palms together, and prostrated himself in obeisance. The Bodhisattva flicked the willow branch several times, scattering a few drops of sweet dew, and in an instant the flames and smoke vanished completely, and the yellow sand was gone without a trace. Sun Wukong knocked his head and said, "I did not know that the Great Compassionate One had descended to the mortal world, and I failed to withdraw in time. May I ask where the Bodhisattva is going?" The Bodhisattva said, "I have come especially to capture this fiend." Sun Wukong said, "What is the origin of this fiend, that it should require your golden form to descend and subdue it?" The Bodhisattva said, "He is the golden-haired hou that I ride. Because the herdsman dozed off and failed to guard him, this vile creature bit through his iron chain and came here, thereby dispelling a calamity for the king of Zhu-Zi Kingdom." When Sun Wukong heard this, he hastily straightened up and said, "Bodhisattva, you have it backwards. Here he has deceived the ruler and beguiled the queen, corrupted morals and injured decency, and brought disaster upon the king—yet you say he dispels calamity? Why?" The Bodhisattva said, "You do not know. At that time, when the former king of Zhu-Zi Kingdom was on the throne, this present king was still the crown prince of the eastern palace and had not yet ascended the throne. In his youth, he was extremely fond of archery and hunting. He led his troops and released his falcons and hounds, and when he came to the Fallen Phoenix Slope, the two children born to the Buddha-Mother, Great Brightness King Peacock of the Western Quarter—a pair of young peacocks, male and female—had alighted beneath the slope. The prince drew his bow and shot the male peacock, wounding him, and the female peacock was also struck by an arrow and perished. After the Buddha-Mother repented, she decreed that he should suffer the separation of the phoenix for three years and be afflicted with a lingering illness. At that time, I was riding this hou and heard these words together with him. I did not expect that this vile creature would take it to heart, and so he came to deceive the queen and dispel the king's calamity. Now the three years have passed and the grievance is satisfied. Fortunately you came to cure the king's affliction. I have come especially to subdue the fiend." Sun Wukong said, "Bodhisattva, though this story be so, nevertheless he has defiled the queen, corrupted morals and injured decency, violated ethics and confused the law—he deserves the death penalty. Now that you have come in person, I can spare him the death penalty, but I cannot spare him the living penalty. Let me strike him twenty times with my staff, and then you may take him away." The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, since you know that I have descended to the mortal world, you should for my sake spare him altogether; this too shall count as your achievement in subduing fiends. If you use your staff, he will die." Sun Wukong dared not disobey, so he bowed and said, "Since the Bodhisattva is taking him back to the sea, you must never again let him descend secretly to the human world, for he would cause no small harm." Then the Bodhisattva called out sharply: "Vile creature! Why do you not return to your true form—what are you waiting for?" The fiend at once rolled over, revealed his original body, shook his fur coat, and the Bodhisattva mounted him. The Bodhisattva then looked under his neck and did not see the three golden bells. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, give me back my bells." Sun Wukong said, "Old Sun does not know." The Bodhisattva scolded, "You thieving ape! If you had not stolen those bells, not to mention one Wukong, even ten would not have dared approach him. Bring them out at once." Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Truly I have not seen them." The Bodhisattva said, "If you truly have not seen them, then let me recite the Band-tightening Spell." At that the Great Sage grew flustered and cried, "Do not recite, do not recite. The bells are here." This is exactly: Who can untie the golden bells from the hou's neck? The one who unties them must ask the one who tied them. The Bodhisattva put the bells around the hou's neck, soared up, and sat high upon him. You see his four feet with lotus flames blazing, and his whole body with golden threads gleaming. The Great Compassionate One returned to the South Sea—no more of that. Now the Great Sage Sun straightened his clothes, took up his iron staff, and fought his way into the Xiezhi Cave, where he beat to death all the hosts of fiends and demons, wiping them out completely. He proceeded to the palace and invited the Royal Noble Consort to return to her kingdom. The consort gave endless obeisances. Sun Wukong recounted in full the story of the Bodhisattva subduing the fiend and the origin of the parted phoenix. He found some soft grass and wove a grass dragon, and told her: "Your Highness, mount this, close your eyes, and do not be afraid—I will take you back to court to see your sovereign." The consort carefully followed his instructions. Sun Wukong exercised his divine powers, and she heard only the wind whistling past her ears. After half an hour, he brought her into the city, lowered the cloud, and said, "Your Highness, open your eyes." The queen opened her eyes, recognized the phoenix pavilions and dragon towers, and was overjoyed. She stepped off the grass dragon and ascended the precious hall together with the Great Sage. When the king saw her, he hurried down from his dragon couch and reached out to take the queen's jade hand, wishing to pour out his sorrows at their parting—but suddenly he fell to the ground, crying only, "My hand hurts, my hand hurts." Bajie laughed heartily and said, "What a disgrace! No luck to enjoy it. The moment you meet, you're stung to death." Sun Wukong said, "You idiot, do you dare to pull her?" Bajie said, "And what if I do pull her?" Sun Wukong said, "The queen's body has grown poisonous thorns, and her hands have the venom that stings the yang. Since she came to Qilin Mountain and spent three years with the Great Sage Sai Tai Sui, the fiend never touched her body. If he touched her body, his body ached; if he touched her hands, his hands ached." The assembled officials said upon hearing this, "What is to be done then?" At this time the officials outside were anxious, and the concubines within were terrified. The two palaces of Jade Sage and Silver Sage helped the king to his feet. While all were in a flurry, they suddenly heard someone in midair call out: "Great Sage, I have come." Sun Wukong looked up and saw: Solemnly the crane's cry pierced the sky, Fluttering down straight to the court. Wreathed in radiant light, path upon path, Curled in auspicious vapors, gay and bright. A palm-bark robe wrapped his body with cloudy mist, Straw sandals on his feet—a rare sight. In his hand a dragon-whisk fly-whisk, A silk sash girdled his waist. Everywhere under heaven he formed ties with men, Roaming freely across the great earth. This was the Purple-Cloud Immortal of the Great Luo Heaven, Come this day to the mortal world to dissolve the nightmare. Sun Wukong stepped forward to greet him and said, "Zhang Ziyang, where are you going?" The True Man Ziyang came straight to the front of the hall, bowed, and saluted, saying, "Great Sage, this lesser immortal, Zhang Boqi, makes his salutation." Sun Wukong returned the salute and said, "Where do you come from?" The True Man said, "This lesser immortal attended a Buddha assembly three years ago, and passing by this place, I saw that the king of Zhu-Zi Kingdom had the sorrow of the parted phoenix. I feared that the fiend would defile the queen and violate human ethics, making it difficult for her to be reunited with the king later. So I took an old palm-bark garment and transformed it into a new rosy cloud robe, gleaming with five colors, and presented it to the fiend king, telling him to have the queen wear it as new attire. When the queen put it on, her whole body grew poisonous thorns. Those thorns are the palm-bark garment. Now, knowing that the Great Sage has succeeded, I have come especially to dissolve the nightmare." Sun Wukong said, "If that is so, I thank you for coming from afar—hurry and release her." The True Man stepped forward, pointed his finger at the queen, and immediately the palm-bark garment came off. The queen's whole body returned to normal. The True Man shook the garment, draped it over himself, and said to Sun Wukong, "Great Sage, do not take offense—this lesser immortal takes his leave." Sun Wukong said, "Stay a moment, let the king thank you." The True Man laughed and said, "No need, no need." Then he made a deep bow, rose into the air, and departed. The emperor, the empress, and all the high and low officials hurriedly bowed toward the sky in reverence. After the bows were completed, he immediately ordered the eastern pavilion to be thrown open wide to reward the four monks. That king led the multitude in kneeling and bowing, and only then were the husband and wife able to be reunited in harmony. Just as they were feasting joyously, Wukong called out, "Master, bring that war letter." The elder took it out from his sleeve and handed it to Wukong. Wukong handed it to the king and said, "This letter was sent by that monster, who dispatched a junior officer to deliver it. That junior officer had already been beaten to death by me, and the letter was sent to report the achievement. Later I went back into the mountains, changed into that junior officer, entered the cave to give my report, and thus gained an audience with the queen, stole the golden bells, and was nearly captured by him. I changed again, stole them back out, and fought against him. Fortunately, I encountered Guanyin Bodhisattva, who subdued him and also told me the reason for the separation of the phoenix. …" From beginning to end, he recounted everything in detail. Throughout the entire kingdom, from ruler and subjects to those within and without the court, there was not a single person who did not give thanks and praise. Tang Monk said, "First, this is the worthy king's good fortune; second, it is the merit of my humble disciple. Now that we have been graced with this grand feast, it is more than enough, more than enough. Let us take our leave here and now; do not delay this poor monk from going west." That king, despite his earnest pleas, could not keep them, so he exchanged the travel credentials, grandly arranged the imperial procession, and invited Tang Monk to sit securely in the dragon carriage. That king and his consorts all held the hubs and pushed the wheels, seeing them off as they parted. It is truly: Fate allows the washing away of all cares and doubts of illness; With thoughts cut off and mind free of brooding, the heart finds peace of itself. After all, on this journey ahead, what auspicious or inauspicious events will occur next? Listen to the next chapter for its explanation.