Chapter 95

But to resume—the Tang Monk, fraught with anxiety and distress, followed the king into the rear palace. He heard only the din of drums and music filling the sky, and at once caught the waft of strange incense assailing his nostrils. He kept his head lowered, not daring to look up. Pilgrim, inwardly pleased, clung to the top of the Vairocana cap, focusing his spiritual light and opening his fiery golden eyes to observe. He saw the two rows of painted maidens arranged like the fairy mansions of the Jade Palace, surpassing even the brocaded curtains of spring breeze. Truly: Graceful and languid, Jade in substance, ice in skin. Pair after pair, their beauty outshines the maidens of Chu; Couple by couple, their loveliness rivals Xi Shi. Cloudlike chignons rise high, with flying phoenixes; Mothlike brows faintly show, with distant hills low. Sweetly the reed-pipes play, Flutes and drums often sound. The notes gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu— Rising, falling, high and low in harmony. Clear songs and wondrous dances ever worthy of love— Brocaded terraces and flower clusters, every hue delighting. When Pilgrim saw that his master was utterly unmoved, he smacked his lips to himself in praise, saying: "Good monk, good monk. Though clad in brocade and embroidery, his heart knows no longing; though his feet tread on jasper and jade, his mind is not bewildered." After a short while, the queen and imperial consorts, escorting the princess, emerged from the Zhique Palace and came forward to welcome them, all crying: "Ten thousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years to our king!" The elder was so alarmed that he trembled and knew not what to do. Pilgrim, however, had long perceived it, for he saw a faint trace of demonic aura emerging from the princess's crown, though it was not extremely fierce. He quickly drew near to the elder's ear and said, "Master, the princess is a fake." The elder said, "If she is a fake, how can we expose her true form?" Pilgrim said, "Assume your Dharma body and seize her right here." The elder said, "No, no, I fear startling the sovereign. Wait until the king and queen have withdrawn, then we can exercise our powers." But Pilgrim was by nature impatient; how could he tolerate waiting? With a great shout, he manifested his original form, rushed forward, and grabbing the princess, he cursed: "Vile fiend! You have been playing false for true here, enjoying yourself to the full—that should be enough! Yet still you are not content and would deceive my master, break his true yang, and satisfy your lecherous nature!" The king was so frightened that he stood dazed and stupefied; the queen and consorts stumbled and crawled; every palace maiden and painted attendant fled in all directions, each caring only for her own life. It was like: The spring breeze blowing wide, The autumn air soughing chill. The spring breeze blowing wide across the gardens sets a thousand flowers swaying; The autumn air soughing through the forbidden park sends ten thousand leaves whirling. It breaks the peonies, tilting them beneath the rails; It bends the herbaceous peonies, laying them by the balustrades. By the pond, the lotus flowers are wildly shaken; On the terraces, the chrysanthemum petals lie heaped. The crabapple, strengthless, falls into the dust; The rose, fragrant, reclines on the wild ground. The spring wind breaks the caltrop and lotus stems; The winter snow bends the tender plum buds. Pomegranate petals scatter in disorder east and west within the inner court; Willow branches on the bank hang slanting north and south across the imperial palace. One wild night of wind and rain ruins the fair flowers— Countless crimson remnants spread a brocade upon the ground. Tripitaka grew even more flustered, and trembling, he clung to the king, crying only: "Your Majesty, fear not, fear not—this is but my impudent disciple wielding his powers to distinguish truth from falsehood." Now when the fiend saw that matters were not going well, she wrenched herself free, stripped off her garments, shook her head, and sent her hairpins and ornaments tumbling to the ground. She ran to the Earth God's shrine in the imperial garden, took out a short cudgel shaped like a pestle, and turned back at once to strike wildly at Pilgrim. Pilgrim followed close behind and met her head-on with his iron staff. The two of them, shouting and yelling, fought right there in the garden. Then they both displayed their great powers, mounting clouds and mist to continue the battle in the air. This bout: The Golden-Banded Cudgel has a famous name; The pestle-like short club is known to none. One has come to this place to fetch the true scriptures; The other has stayed here for love of wondrous flowers. The fiend had long known of the holy monk Tang, And sought to mate with him and take his primal essence. Last year she had abducted the true princess, And taken human form, cherished and beloved. Now she meets the Great Sage, who perceives her demonic air, To rescue and save a life, distinguishing false from true. The short club strikes viciously, aimed at the crown; The iron staff displays its might, meeting face to face. Noisily and clamorously the two hold their ground, With clouds and mist filling the sky, obscuring the sun. The two of them fought in midair, locked in combat, so that all the common folk in the city were terrified, and every official in the court trembled with fear. The elder, supporting the king, cried only: "Do not be alarmed. Please urge the queen and the others not to fear. Your princess is one who has assumed a false form; once my disciple captures her, you will know good from ill." Among the consorts, some who were bold enough took the garments and hairpins to show the queen, saying: "These are what the princess wore and adorned. Now she has cast them all aside, and in her bare body is fighting the monk in the sky—she must surely be an evil spirit." Only then did the king, queen, consorts, and attendants compose themselves and gaze upward into the sky—but no more of this. Now the fiend and the Great Sage had fought for half a day without either gaining the upper hand. Pilgrim threw his staff up and called out: "Change!" With one he made ten, with ten a hundred, with a hundred a thousand, and in midair it was like serpents swimming and pythons coiling, striking wildly at the fiend. The fiend, flustered, transformed into a clear breeze and fled straight into the blue sky above. Pilgrim recited a spell, drew his iron staff back into one piece, and mounted an auspicious light to give chase. As he neared the West Heaven Gate, he saw the gleaming standards and banners, and Pilgrim shouted aloud: "You who guard the gate, stop that fiend! Do not let her escape!" Indeed, at the gate the Heavenly King Protector of the Realm, leading the four great marshals Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi, all raised their weapons to block her. The fiend could not advance, so she turned back at once, wielded her short club, and once more engaged Pilgrim. This Great Sage whirled his iron staff and looked closely: he saw that the short club was thick at one end and thin at the other, just like the pestle of a mortar. With a roar he thundered: "Vile fiend! What weapon is that you hold, that you dare oppose Old Sun? Surrender at once, lest this staff smash your skull!" The fiend gritted her teeth and said: "You do not know my weapon either. Hear me: Its immortal root is a length of sheep-fat jade, Wrought and shaped through ages untold. When Chaos parted I already had it; When Primal Obscurity was cleft, I was foremost. Its origin is not like any mortal thing— Its nature was born in the heavens above. One body, with golden light and the four marks, Five elemental auspices, and the three primals in harmony. Long have I kept it with me in the Moon Palace, Long has it accompanied me by the cassia hall. Because I loved flowers, I descended to the worldly realm, And so came to Tianzhu, feigning beauty. With you I seek only joyful union— I wish to wed the Tang monk and fulfill a destined bond. How can you break a happy pair with your deceitful heart, And pursue me in death to display your violence? This weapon's fame is great indeed— It stands before your Golden-Banded Cudgel. In the Guanghan Palace it is the medicine-pounding pestle; One blow from it sends a man to the Yellow Springs." When Pilgrim heard this, he gave a cold laugh and said: "Vile fiend! Since you dwell in the Moon Palace, you should know Old Sun's abilities. Yet you still dare to dawdle here? Show your true form at once and submit, and I will spare your life." The fiend said: "I know you are the Protector of Horses who caused great havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago, and by rights I should yield to you. But to break a betrothal is like slaying one's father or mother—for that reason I cannot yield in honor, and I must strike you, the insolent, heaven-defying Protector of Horses." Now the Great Sage was enraged by those three words—"Protector of Horses"—and when he heard them, fury blazed in his heart. He raised his iron staff and struck straight at her face; the fiend swung her pestle to meet him. Right before the West Heaven Gate they fought with fierce determination. This bout: The Golden-Banded Cudgel and the Medicine-Pounding Pestle— These two immortal weapons are truly matched. One descended to the world to form a marriage bond, The other came here to protect the Tang monk. It was all because the king had no proper sense, And his love of flowers drew the fiend to delight. Thus they now struggle in bitter strife, Both giving full rein to their stubborn hearts. Crashing and clashing, they stake win or loss; With taunts and jeers they trade jibes together. The pestle's heroic might is rare in the world, But the iron staff's divine power is even finer. Golden light dazzles, shaking the Heaven Gate; Colored mist glows, linking the earth below. They came and went, exchanging a dozen rounds, Until the fiend's strength waned and she could scarcely hold her ground. That demoness fought with Xingzhe for another ten-odd rounds, but seeing that his staff's momentum was tight and swift, she reckoned it would be hard to win, so she feigned a thrust with her pestle, shook her body, and transformed into myriad beams of golden light, heading straight to the south in defeat. The Great Sage pursued her closely. Suddenly they arrived at a great mountain; the demoness suppressed her golden light and drilled into a mountain cave, disappearing without a trace. Fearing that she might escape back to the kingdom and secretly harm Tang Sanzang, he marked the layout of this mountain and turned his cloud back to the capital. It was now the hour of Shen (3-5 PM). The king was clutching Sanzang, trembling with fear, crying only: "Holy monk, save me!" The consorts and the queen were also in panic, when they saw the Great Sage descend from the clouds, calling out: "Master, I have come!" Sanzang said: "Wukong, stay still, do not startle His Majesty. I ask you: what is the truth about the false princess?" Xingzhe stood outside the Zhi Que Hall, folded his hands across his chest, and said: "The false princess is an evil spirit. At first I fought her for half a day; she could not prevail against me, so she transformed into a clear breeze and went straight to the Heavenly Gate, but I shouted at the heavenly soldiers to block her. She then revealed her true form and fought with me for another ten-odd rounds, then turned her body into golden light and fled in defeat to a mountain in the south. I hurriedly pursued to the mountain but found nowhere to look; fearing she might come here to harm you, I specially returned." When the king heard this, he tugged at Tang Sanzang and asked: "Since the false princess is an evil spirit, where is my true princess?" Xingzhe replied: "Wait until I capture the false princess, then your true princess will naturally come." When the queen and consorts heard these words, they all put aside their fear and came forward one by one to bow and plead: "We beg the holy monk to rescue our true princess and distinguish truth from falsehood; we shall surely reward you handsomely." Xingzhe said: "This is not a place for us to talk. Please, Your Majesty, leave the palace with my master and go to the hall; let the consorts and the queen each return to their chambers, and summon my junior brothers Bajie and Sha Seng to protect our master, so that I may go and subdue the demon. This will both separate the inner and outer courts and free me from worry. I will certainly clarify the matter and show the effort of my heart." The king agreed and thanked him repeatedly. Then he took Tang Sanzang by the hand and left the palace, proceeding straight to the hall. All the consorts and the queen returned to their quarters. On one side they ordered vegetarian meals to be prepared, and on the other they summoned Bajie and Sha Seng. In a moment, the two arrived. Xingzhe told them all that had happened and instructed them to guard attentively. Then the Great Sage rode his somersault cloud and flew away into the air. The many officials before the hall all gazed upward and bowed, but no more of that. Sun Wukong went straight to that mountain in the south to search. It turned out that the demoness, having lost the battle, had come to this mountain, drilled into her lair, blocked the door with stones, and cowered in hiding, not daring to come out. Xingzhe searched for a while but saw no movement, and became very vexed. He formed a mudra, recited the true incantation, and summoned the earth god and mountain god of that mountain for questioning. After a short while, the two gods arrived and kowtowed, saying: "We do not know, we do not know; if we had known, we would have welcomed you from afar. We beg your forgiveness for our offense." Xingzhe said: "I will not beat you for now. I ask you: what is the name of this mountain? How many demons are there here? Speak the truth and I will spare you your punishment." The two gods reported: "Great Sage, this mountain is called Maoying Shan. In the mountain there are only three rabbit burrows; from ancient times to the present, there have been no demons at all. It is a blessed land of the Five Rings. If the Great Sage seeks demons, you should go on the Western Road to find them." Xingzhe said: "I, Old Sun, reached the Kingdom of Tianzhu in the West. That king had a princess who was carried off by a demon and abandoned in the wilderness. The demon then changed into the princess's form, deceived the king, built a colored pavilion, threw an embroidered ball, and wished to recruit a son-in-law. I was escorting Tang Sanzang to the base of that pavilion, when she intentionally hit Tang Sanzang with the ball, wanting to make him her mate and seduce him to take his primal yang. I saw through her trick and revealed myself in the palace to catch her. She then shed her human clothes and ornaments, wielded a short cudgel named the Medicine-Pounding Pestle, and fought with me for half a day, then transformed into a clear breeze and fled. I, Old Sun, pursued her to the Western Heavenly Gate, where we fought another ten-odd rounds. She could not win, so she turned again into golden light and fled to this place. How is it that she is not seen?" When the two gods heard this, they immediately led Xingzhe to search in those three burrows. They first looked at the burrow at the foot of the mountain; there were also a few wild rabbits, which fled in fright. When they searched in the burrow at the very summit, they saw two large stones blocking the entrance. The earth god said: "This must be where the demon is; hurry and drill in." Xingzhe then used his iron staff to push the stones aside. The demon was indeed hiding inside; with a whoosh, she leaped out and raised her pestle to strike at Xingzhe. He swung his iron staff to parry. The mountain god was so frightened that he stepped back, and the earth god hurriedly ran away. The demon, muttering and grumbling, cursed at the mountain god and earth god: "Who told you to lead him here to look for me?" She braced herself against the iron staff, fighting while retreating, and dashed into the air. At this critical moment, it was also getting dark. Xingzhe became even fiercer and struck with deadly intent, wishing he could kill her with one blow. Suddenly, from the vast azure sky, a voice called out: "Great Sage, do not strike! Do not strike! Spare her under your staff!" Xingzhe turned to look and saw that it was Taiyin Xingjun, followed by Heng'e xianzi, descending on colorful clouds to appear before him. Startled, Xingzhe put away his iron staff, bowed, and saluted: "Where is the Old Lady Taiyin going? I, Old Sun, failed to avoid you." Taiyin said: "This demoness who opposes you is the Jade Rabbit from my Guanghan Palace, who pounds the mystic frost immortal elixir. She secretly stole open the jade lock and golden bolt, left the palace, and has now been gone for a full year. I calculated that she is currently in danger of losing her life, so I came especially to save her. I beg the Great Sage, for my sake, to spare her." Xingzhe assented repeatedly, saying only: "I dare not, I dare not. No wonder she could wield that medicine-pestle; so she is indeed a Jade Rabbit. Old Lady Taiyin does not know: she abducted and hid the princess of the King of Tianzhu, then assumed the true form of the princess, wanting to break the primal yang of my holy master, the Tang Monk. Given the circumstances and her crimes, how can I be willing to let her off lightly? How can she be so easily forgiven?" Taiyin said: "You also do not know: that king's princess is not an ordinary mortal either; she was originally Su'e in the Moon Palace. Eighteen years ago, she had struck the Jade Rabbit once, and then she grew weary of immortality and descended to the mortal world; a single ray of her spirit then entered the womb of the king's chief queen and was born at that time. This Jade Rabbit bore a grudge for that slap, so last year she secretly left the palace and abandoned Su'e in the wilderness. But she should not have tried to mate with Tang Sanzang; that crime indeed cannot be absolved. Fortunately, you were vigilant and saw through the truth and falsehood, and she did not harm your master. I beg you, for my sake, to pardon her crime; I will take her back." Xingzhe laughed and said: "Since there is such karmic cause, I, Old Sun, dare not disobey. But if you take away the Jade Rabbit, I fear the king will not believe it. May I trouble the Lady Taiyin and all the immortal maidens to bring the Jade Rabbit there and prove it clearly to the king: first, to show Old Sun's abilities; second, to explain the reason for Su'e's descent; then let the king fetch the body of the princess Su'e, to show the meaning of manifest retribution." Taiyin Jun trusted his words, pointed at the demon, and shouted: "You beast, why do you not return to the right and come along?" The Jade Rabbit rolled over and revealed its original form. Truly it was: A split lip, sharp teeth, long ears, sparse whiskers. Its curled body, a lump of fur like jade; stretching its legs, its hooves fly over a thousand mountains. Its straight nose drips with dew, truly surpassing frost and powdered paste; its pair of red eyes shimmer, even outshining snow with rouge spots. Crouching on the ground, a white heap of pure silk; stretching its waist, a white gleaming frame of silver threads. Many times it has sipped the remaining clear dew at dawn in the jade sky, and pounded the elixir of longevity with its marvelous jade pestle. When the Great Sage saw this, he was overcome with joy. Mounting the light of clouds, he went forward to lead the way. The Lord Taiyin, leading all the Chang'e immortals and bearing the jade rabbit, went straight to the borders of the Celestial Kingdom. It was now dusk, and the moon was just rising. As they reached the city wall, they heard the drums on the watchtower. The king and Tang Sanzang were still in the hall; Bajie, Sha Seng, and the many officials were all before the steps, just discussing the end of the court session, when they saw a patch of rosy clouds in the direct south, shining as bright as day. All looked up, and then they heard Sun Dasheng's stern voice call out loudly: "Your Majesty of Tianzhu, please summon your queen and consorts to look: beneath this jeweled canopy is the Lord Taiyin of the Moon Palace; the immortal maidens on either side are the Chang'e of the moon. This jade rabbit is your false princess, now revealing its true form." The king hastily summoned the queen, consorts, palace ladies, and maids to pay homage to Heaven, while he, together with Tang Sanzang and the many officials, also bowed and gave thanks toward the sky. In every household throughout the city, there was not one that did not set up incense tables and kowtow while reciting the Buddha's name. As they were watching, Zhu Bajie's lustful heart stirred; unable to restrain himself, he leaped into the air and embraced the Lady Nishang, saying, "Elder sister, you and I are old acquaintances—let us go and amuse ourselves." Pilgrim stepped forward, grabbed Bajie, slapped him twice, and scolded, "You bumpkin! What place do you think this is, that you dare harbor lewd thoughts?" Bajie said, "I was merely seeking a little diversion to relieve my boredom." The Lord Taiyin then ordered the immortal canopy turned, and together with the immortals, withdrew the jade rabbit and departed straight for the Moon Palace. Pilgrim then grabbed Bajie and threw him down to the dust. The king, in the hall, thanked Pilgrim and then asked about the underlying cause: "How grateful I am that the divine monk, with his great magical powers, has captured the false princess. Where, then, is my true princess?" Pilgrim said, "Your true princess is no mortal birth; she is the Suxian immortal maiden of the Moon Palace. Because eighteen years ago she struck the jade rabbit once, she conceived a longing for the mortal world and descended to be reborn in the womb of your principal consort, and was born as your daughter. The jade rabbit, nursing a grudge over that old grievance, secretly opened the jade gate and golden lock in a previous year, came down, seized Suxian and cast her into the wilderness, then transformed itself to deceive you. This chain of cause and effect was told to me personally by the Lord Taiyin. Now that the false one has been removed, tomorrow I ask Your Majesty to go in search of the true one." When the king heard this, his heart was filled with shame and dismay, and tears could not stop streaming down his cheeks: "My child—I have sat upon the throne since my youth and have never even gone beyond the city gates; where am I to go to find you?" Pilgrim laughed and said, "Do not fret; your princess is now pretending madness in the Jigu Bujin Temple. Let everyone disperse for now; come dawn, I shall return your true princess to you." The officials again prostrated themselves and memorialized: "Your Majesty, be at ease. These divine monks are Buddhas who ride clouds and mist; they surely know the causes of past and future. Tomorrow we beg the divine monks to go with us in search, and then we shall know the truth." The king heeded their words and invited them to the Liuchun Pavilion, where a vegetarian feast was laid out and they were lodged for the night. It was now nearly the second watch. Truly: The clepsydra drips beneath the bright moonlight, Wind carries the tinkling of golden bells. The cuckoo cries as spring half passes, Falling blossoms find no path near the third watch. In the royal garden, lonely shadow of the swing, The azure void floats the Silver River across. Through three markets and six streets no walkers go, A sky of stars shines in the clear night. That night each retired to rest; no more of this. That night, once the king had dispelled the baleful aura, his spirits suddenly revived. At the third watch of the fifth geng, he again held morning court. After court, he ordered that the four monks from Tang be invited to discuss the search for the princess. The elder came forth and performed his obeisance before the throne. The three Great Sages together made a salute. The king inclined his body and said, "Regarding my princess daughter spoken of yesterday, I venture to trouble the divine monks to seek and rescue her." The elder said, "Your poor monk, coming from the east some days ago, traveled until evening and saw a Jigu Bujin Temple, so I entered to beg lodging, and was fortunate to be received by the monks there. That night, after the meal, I strolled beneath the moon and wandered to the old garden of Bujin to view its foundations, when suddenly a sound of weeping reached my ears. Upon inquiring into the matter, an old monk of this temple, already over a hundred years old, dismissed those nearby and told me in detail: 'The one who weeps is a woman who, in the deep spring of a previous year, when this old monk was contemplating the moon in his clarity of nature, was suddenly cast to the ground by a gust of wind. When the monk asked her, the woman said, "I am the princess of the kingdom of Tianzhu; because I was viewing the moon and flowers by night, I was blown here by the wind."' That old monk, well versed in propriety, locked the princess in a secluded chamber, fearing lest the unruly monks of this temple defile her, and only said that she was an evil spirit confined by him. The princess understood his intent; by day she raved and babbled, asking for tea and food; at night, when no one was about, she lamented her parents with weeping. The old monk also came to the capital several times to inquire, and seeing that the princess in the palace was safe and well, he dared not report the matter. Because he saw that my disciples possessed some supernatural powers, the old monk exhorted me time and again to come here and investigate. Little did I expect that it was originally a jade rabbit from the Moon Palace who had become an evil spirit, assuming a false human form and transforming into the likeness of the princess, and that she also harbored the intention of breaking my primal yang. Fortunately, my disciple displayed his might and revealed his magic, discerning the true from the false. She has now been taken away by the Lord Taiyin. The worthy princess is at present in the Bujin Temple, feigning madness." When the king heard this detailed account, he burst into loud wailing. This soon startled the three palaces and six courts, and all came to ask the cause; there was not one who did not weep bitterly. After a long while, the king asked again: "How far is Bujin Temple from the city?" Sanzang said, "Only sixty li." The king then issued his decree: "Let the Eastern and Western Palaces guard the throne, and the Grand Preceptor of the court protect the state. I, together with the principal queen and the many officials and four divine monks, shall go to the temple to fetch the princess." The imperial cortege was immediately prepared, and they set out from court. Now watch Pilgrim leap into the air, twist his waist, and arrive first at the temple. The monks hastily knelt to receive him, saying, "When you left, venerable sir, you walked with the others; how is it that today you descend from Heaven?" Pilgrim laughed and said, "Where is your old teacher? Call him out quickly, and arrange incense tables to receive the royal carriage—the king of Tianzhu, the queen, the many officials, and my master have all arrived." The monks, not grasping his meaning, brought out the old monk. When the old monk saw Pilgrim, he prostrated himself and asked, "Venerable sir, how goes the matter of the princess?" Pilgrim recounted from beginning to end the story of the false princess casting the embroidered ball, her intent to wed Tang Sanzang, the pursuit and combat, and how the Lord Taiyin had taken away the jade rabbit. The old monk again knocked his head in thanks. Pilgrim helped him up, saying, "Do not bow yet, do not bow yet. Quickly arrange to receive the royal carriage." Only then did the monks realize that the one locked in the back chamber was a woman. Startled and overjoyed, they set up incense tables, arranged them outside the mountain gate, put on their monastic robes, and struck the bell and drum as they waited. In no long time, the imperial carriage arrived. Truly: Gay auspicious vapors filled the sky with fragrance, A barren mountain suddenly adorned with blessing. Rainbow streams for a thousand years clear river and sea, Thunder encircling long spring outshines Yu and Tang. Grass and trees receive grace and add fresh color, Wild flowers gain moisture and have abundant fragrance. Ancient sages left their traces here, Today the wise sovereign descends upon the precious hall. The king arrived outside the mountain gate, and saw the multitude of monks all neatly arrayed, prostrating themselves in greeting; he also saw Sun Wukong standing in their midst. The king said, “Holy monk, how did you arrive here first?” Wukong laughed and said, “Old Sun only gave his waist a slight twist, and he got here. How is it that you have taken this long to walk?” Thereafter Tripitaka and the others all arrived. The elder conducted the royal carriage to the side of the rear quarters, where the princess was still raving in madness. The old monk knelt and pointed, saying, “Inside this room is the princess consort who was blown here by the wind in former years.” The king at once ordered the door opened. They immediately forced open the iron lock and opened the door. When the king and the empress saw the princess, they recognized her features; heedless of the filth, they drew near and embraced her, saying, “My suffering child! How did you come to suffer such torment and endure this misery here?” Truly, the meeting of parents and child was different from others; the three clung to each other and wept bitterly. After weeping for a while and recounting their sorrows of separation, they at once ordered fragrant hot water, had the princess bathe and change her clothes, and then mounted the carriage to return to the capital. Wukong then cupped his hands to the king and said, “Old Sun still has one more matter to present.” The king returned the salute and said, “If the holy monk has instructions, I will follow them.” Wukong said, “This mountain is named Hundred-Foot Mountain. Of late it is said that a centipede has become a spirit and harms people at night, causing great inconvenience to travellers coming and going. I consider that centipedes can only be subdued by roosters; one may select a thousand exceptionally large roosters and release them into the mountain to eliminate this poisonous insect. Let this mountain’s name also be changed, and issue a decree of imperial conferment, as a token of thanks for the monks’ kindness in sheltering the princess.” The king was greatly pleased and assented. He immediately dispatched officials to the city to fetch roosters; he also changed the mountain’s name to Precious Flower Mountain. He further ordered the Ministry of Works to prepare materials for reconstruction, and bestowed a title, calling it “The Imperial-Built Precious Flower Mountain Jeta Grove Golden Temple”; the old monk was enfeoffed as “State-Repaying Monk-Official,” hereditary in perpetuity, with a stipend of thirty-six piculs of grain. The monks gave thanks for the grace and escorted the royal carriage back to court. The princess entered the palace and met each one in turn. A banquet was arranged to ease the princess’s melancholy and celebrate her joy. The empress and the prince’s mother and son were reunited together. The king and his ministers also rejoiced, and they feasted and drank all night — but we shall not dwell on that. The next morning, the king issued an edict summoning painters to portray the joyful countenances of the four holy monks, to be enshrined and worshipped in the China-Barbarian Pavilion. He also had the princess newly decked out in formal attire, and she came out to the hall to thank the four monks of Tang for their kindness in delivering her from suffering. After the thanks were given, Tripitaka took leave of the king and set off westward. The king was unwilling to let them go; he laid on a grand feast, and they ate and drank for five or six days in a row, which particularly pleased the Idiot, who gave full rein to his belly and enjoyed himself thoroughly. When the king saw that their hearts were set on worshipping the Buddha and that he could not keep them despite his pleas, he took two hundred ingots of gold and silver and a tray each of precious treasures to offer in thanks. The master and disciples would not accept a single bit. The king ordered the imperial carriage prepared and invited the venerable master to mount it, and dispatched officials to escort them far on their way. The empress, consorts, ministers, and common people all bowed in gratitude without end. When they reached the road ahead, they again saw the monks seeing them off with kowtows, and all were loath to part. Wukong, seeing that the senders would not go back, had no recourse but to form a mudra, blow a breath of immortal air toward the southeast, and a dark wind that blurred the eyes of all those seeing them off; only then were they able to free themselves and depart. Truly this is: Having bathed in the wave of grace, he returned to his nature; Leaving the golden sea, he awakened to true emptiness. But after all, we do not know what lies ahead on the road — listen to the next chapter for its explanation.