第四十回

第四十回 婴儿戏化禅心乱 猿马刀圭木母空

却说那孙大圣兄弟三人，按下云头，径至朝内。只见那君臣储后，几班儿拜接谢恩。行者将菩萨降魔收怪的那一节，陈诉与他君臣听了，一个个顶礼不尽。正都在贺喜之间，又听得黄门官来奏：“主公，外面又有四个和尚来也。”八戒慌了道：“哥哥，莫是妖精弄法，假捏文殊菩萨，哄了我等，却又变作和尚，来与我们斗智哩？”行者道：“岂有此理！”即命宣进来看。

众文武传令，着他进来。行者看时，原来是那宝林寺僧人，捧着那冲天冠、碧玉带、赭黄袍、无忧履进得来也。行者大喜道：“来得好！来得好！”且教道人过来，摘下包巾，戴上冲天冠；脱了布衣，穿上赭黄袍；解了绦子，系上碧玉带；褪了僧鞋，蹬上无忧履；教太子拿出白玉珪来，与他执在手里，早请上殿称孤。正是自古道：“朝廷不可一日无君。”那皇帝那里肯坐，哭啼啼，跪在阶心道：“我已死三年，今蒙师父救我回生，怎么又敢妄自称尊？请那一位师父为君，我情愿领妻子城外为民足矣。”那三藏那里肯受，一心只是要拜佛求经。又请行者，行者笑道：“不瞒列位说，老孙若肯要做皇帝，天下万国九州皇帝，都做遍了。只是我们做惯了和尚，是这般懒散。若做了皇帝，就要留头长发，黄昏不睡，五鼓不眠，听有边报，心神不安，见有灾荒，忧愁无奈。我们怎么弄得惯？你还做你的皇帝，我还做我的和尚，修功行去也。”那国王苦让不过，只得上了宝殿，南面称孤，大赦天下，封赠了宝林寺僧人回去。却才开东阁，筵宴唐僧。一壁厢传旨宣召丹青，写下唐师徒四位喜容[1]，供养在金銮殿上。

那师徒们安了邦国，不肯久停，欲辞王驾投西。那皇帝与三宫妃后、太子、诸臣，将镇国的宝贝，金银缎帛，献与师父酬恩。那三藏分毫不受，只是倒换关文，催悟空等背马早行。那国王甚不过意，摆整朝銮驾请唐僧上坐，着两班文武引导，他与三宫妃后并太子一家儿，捧毂推轮[2]，送出城廓，却才下龙辇，与众相别。国王道：“师父呵，到西天经回之日，是必还到寡人界内一顾。”三藏道：“弟子领命。”那皇帝阁泪[3]汪汪，遂与众臣回去了。

那唐僧一行四僧，上了羊肠大路，一心里专拜灵山。正值秋尽冬初时节，但见：

霜凋红叶林林瘦，雨熟黄粱处处盈。

日暖岭梅开晓色，风摇山竹动寒声。

师徒们离了乌鸡国，夜住晓行，将半月有馀，忽又见一座高山，真个是摩天碍日。三藏马上心惊，急兜缰，忙呼行者。行者道：“师父有何分付？”三藏道：“你看前面又有大山峻岭，须要仔细提防，恐一时又有邪物来侵我也。”行者笑道：“只管走路，莫再多心。老孙自有防护。”那长老只得宽怀，加鞭策马，奔至山岩，果然也十分险峻。但见得：

高不高，顶上接青霄；深不深，涧中如地府。山前常见骨都都白云，扢腾腾黑雾。红梅翠竹，绿柏青松。山后有千万丈挟魂灵台，台后有古古怪怪藏魔洞。洞中有叮叮当当滴水泉，泉下更有弯弯曲曲流水涧。又见那跳天搠地献果猿，丫丫叉叉带角鹿，呢呢痴痴看人獐。至晚巴山寻穴虎，待晓翻波出水龙。登得洞门唿喇的响，惊得飞禽扑鲁的起，看那林中走兽鞠律律的行。见此一伙禽和兽，吓得人心扢磴磴惊。堂倒洞堂堂倒洞，洞当当倒洞当仙。青石染成千块玉，碧纱笼罩万堆烟。

师徒们正当悚惧，又只见那山凹里有一朵红云，直冒到九霄空内，结聚了一团火气。行者大惊，走近前，把唐僧[4]着脚，推下马来，叫：“兄弟们，不要走了！妖怪来矣！”慌得个八戒急掣钉钯，沙僧忙抡宝杖，把唐僧围护在当中。

话分两头。却说红光里真是个妖精，他数年前闻得人讲：“东土唐僧往西天取经，乃是金蝉长老转生，十世修行的好人。有人吃他一块肉，延生长寿，与天地同休。”他朝朝在山间等候，不期今日到了。他在那半空里正然观看，只见三个徒弟，把唐僧围护在马上，各各准备。这精灵夸赞不尽道：“好和尚！我才看着一个白面胖和尚骑了马，真是那唐朝圣僧，却怎么被三个丑和尚护持住了！一个个伸拳敛袖，各执兵器，似乎要与人打的一般。——噫！不知是那个有眼力的，想应认得我了。似此模样，莫想得那唐僧的肉吃。”沉吟半晌，以心问心的自家商量道：“若要倚势而擒，莫能得近，或者以善迷他，却到得手。但哄得他心迷惑，待我在善内生机，断然拿了。且下去戏他一戏。”

好妖怪，即散红光，按云头落下，去那山坡里摇身一变，变作七岁顽童，赤条条的，身上无衣，将麻绳捆了手足，高吊在那松树梢头，口口声声只叫：“救人！救人！”

却说那孙大圣忽抬头再看处，只见那红云散尽，火气全无，便叫：“师父，请上马走路。”唐僧道：“你说妖怪来了，怎么又敢走路？”行者道：“我才然间，见一朵红云从地而起，到空中结做一团火气，断然是妖精。这一会红云散了，想是个过路的妖精，不敢伤人。我们去耶！”八戒笑道：“师兄说话最巧，妖精又有个甚么过路的？”行者道：“你那里知道。若是那山那洞的魔王设宴，邀请那诸山各洞之精赴会，却就有东南西北四路的精灵都来赴会，故此他只有心赴宴，无意伤人。此乃过路之妖精也。”

三藏闻言，也似信不信的，只得攀鞍在马，顺路奔山前进。正行时，只听得叫声：“救人！”长老大惊道：“徒弟呀，这半山中，是那里甚么人叫？”行者上前道：“师父只管走路，莫缠甚么‘人轿’、‘骡轿’、‘明轿’、‘睡轿’。这所在，就有轿，也没个人抬你。”唐僧道：“不是扛抬之轿，乃是叫唤之叫。”行者笑道：“我晓得。莫管闲事，且走路。”

三藏依言，策马又进。行不上一里之遥，又听得叫声：“救人！”长老道：“徒弟，这个叫声，不是鬼魅妖邪；若是鬼魅妖邪，但有出声，无有回声。你听他叫一声，又叫一声，想必是个有难之人。我们可去救他一救。”行者道：“师父，今日且把这慈悲心略收起收起，待过了此山，再发慈悲罢。这去处凶多吉少。你知道那倚草附木之说，是物可以成精。诸般还可，只有一般蟒蛇，但修得年远日深，成了精魅，善能知人小名儿。他若在草科里，或山凹中，叫人一声，人不答应还可，若答应一声，他就把人元神绰去，当夜跟来，断然伤人性命。且走！且走！古人云：‘脱得去，谢神明。’切不可听他。”

长老只得依他，又加鞭催马而去。行者心中暗想：“这泼怪不知在那里，只管叫阿叫的。等老孙送他一个‘卯酉星法’[5]，教他两不见面。”好大圣，叫沙和尚前来：“拢着马，慢慢走着，让老孙解解手。”你看他让唐僧先行几步，却念个咒语，使个移山缩地之法，把金箍棒往后一指，他师徒过此峰头，往前走了，却把那怪物撇下。他再拽开步，赶上唐僧，一路奔山。只见那三藏又听得那山背后叫声：“救人！”长老道：“徒弟呀，那有难的人，大没缘法，不曾得遇着我们。我们走过他了，你听他在山后叫哩。”八戒道：“在便还在山前，只是如今风转了也。”行者道：“管他甚么转风不转风，且走路。”因此，遂都无言语，恨不得一步过此山，不题话下。

却说那妖精在山坡里，连叫了三四声，更无人到。他心中思量道：“我等唐僧在此，望见他离不上三里，却怎么这半晌还不到？……想是抄[6]下路去了。”他抖一抖身躯，脱了绳索，又纵红光，上空再看。不觉孙大圣仰面回观，识得是妖怪，又把唐僧撮着脚推下马来道：“兄弟们，仔细！仔细！那妖精又来也！”慌得那八戒、沙僧各持兵刀，将唐僧又围护在中间。

那精灵见了，在半空中称羡不已道：“好和尚！我才见那白面和尚坐在马上，却怎么又被他三人藏了？这一去见面方知，先把那有眼力的弄倒了，方才捉得唐僧。不然呵，徒费心机难获物，枉劳情兴总成空。”却又按下云头，却似前番变化，高吊在松树梢头等候。这番却不上半里之地。

却说那孙大圣抬头再看，只见那红云又散，复请师父上马前行。三藏道：“你说妖精又来，如何又请走路？”行者道：“这还是个过路的妖精，不敢惹我们。”长老又怀怒道：“这个泼猴，十分弄我！正当有妖魔处，却说无事，似这般清平之所，却又恐吓我，不时的嚷道有甚妖精。虚多实少，不管轻重，将我着脚，捽下马来，如今却解说甚么过路的妖精。假若跌伤了我，却也过意不去！这等，这等！……”行者道：“师父莫怪。若是跌伤了你的手足，却还好医治；若是被妖精捞了去，却何处跟寻？”三藏大怒，哏哏[7]的要念《紧箍儿咒》，却是沙僧苦劝，只得上马又行。

还未曾坐得稳，只听又叫：“师父救人呵！”长老抬头看时，原来是个小孩童，赤条条的吊在那树上，兜住缰便骂行者道：“这泼猴多大惫懒！全无有一些儿善良之意，心心只是要撒泼行凶哩！我那般说叫唤的是个人声，他就千言万语只嚷是妖怪！你看那树上吊的不是个人么？”大圣见师父怪下来了，却又觌面看见模样，一则做不得手脚，二来又怕念《紧箍儿咒》，低着头，再也不敢回言，让唐僧到了树下。那长老将鞭梢指着问道：“你是那家孩儿？因有甚事，吊在此间？说与我，好救你。”——噫！分明他是个精灵，变化得这等，那师父却是个肉眼凡胎，不能相识。

那妖魔见他下问，越弄虚头，眼中噙泪，叫道：“师父呀，山西去有一条枯松涧，涧那边有一庄村，我是那里人家。我祖公公姓红，只因广积金银，家私巨万，混名唤做红百万，年老归世已久，家产遗与我父。近来人事奢侈，家私渐废，改名唤做红十万，专一结交四路豪杰，将金银借放，希图利息。怎知那无籍之人[8]，设骗了去呵，本利无归。我父发了洪誓，分文不借。那借金银人，身贫无计，结成凶党，明火执杖，白日杀上我门，将我财帛尽情劫掳，把我父亲杀了；见我母亲有些颜色，拐将去做甚么压寨夫人。那时节，我母亲舍不得我，把我抱在怀里，哭哀哀，战兢兢，跟随贼寇，不期到此山中，又要杀我。多亏我母亲哀告，免教我刀下身亡，却将绳子吊我在树上，只教冻饿而死。那些贼将我母亲不知掠往那里去了。我在此已吊三日三夜，更没一个人来行走。不知那世里修积，今生得遇老师父。若肯舍大慈悲，救我一命回家，就典身卖命，也酬谢师恩，致使黄沙盖面，更不敢忘也。”

三藏闻言，认了真实，就教八戒解放绳索，救他下来。那呆子也不识人，便要上前动手。行者在旁，忍不住喝了一声道：“那泼物！有认得你的在这里哩！莫要只管架空捣鬼，说谎哄人！你既家私被劫，父被贼伤，母被人掳，救你去交与谁人？你将何物与我作谢？这谎脱节了耶！”那怪闻言，心中害怕，就知大圣是个能人，暗将他放在心上，却又战战兢兢，滴泪而言曰：“师父，虽然我父母空亡，家财尽绝，还有些田产未动，亲戚皆存。”行者道：“你有甚么亲戚？”妖怪道：“我外公家在山南，姑娘住居岭北，涧头李四是我姨夫，林内红三是我族伯，还有堂叔、堂兄都住在本庄左右。老师父若肯救我，到了庄上，见了诸亲，将老师父拯救之恩，一一对众言说，典卖些田产，重重酬谢也。”

八戒听说，扛[9]住行者道：“哥哥，这等一个小孩子家，你只管盘诘他怎的！他说得是，强盗只打劫他些浮财，莫成连房屋田产也劫得去？若与他亲戚们说了，我们纵有广大食肠，也吃不了他十亩田价。救他下来罢。”呆子只是想着吃食，那里管甚么好歹，使戒刀挑断绳索，放下怪来。那怪对唐僧马下，泪汪汪只情磕头。长老心慈，便叫：“孩儿，你上马来，我带你去。”那怪道：“师父呵，我手脚都吊麻了，腰胯疼痛，一则是乡下人家，不惯骑马。”唐僧叫八戒驮着，那妖怪抹了一眼道：“师父，我的皮肤都冻熟了，不敢要这位师父驮。他的嘴长耳大，脑后鬃硬，搠得我慌。”唐僧道：“教沙和尚驮着。”那怪也抹了一眼道：“师父，那些贼来打劫我家时，一个个都搽了花脸，带假胡子，拿刀弄杖的。我被他唬怕了，见这位晦气脸的师父，一发没了魂了，也不敢要他驮。”唐僧教孙行者驮着，行者呵呵笑道：“我驮！我驮！”

那怪物暗自欢喜，顺顺当当的要行者驮他。行者把他扯在路旁边，试了一试，只好有三斤十来两重。行者笑道：“你这个泼怪物，今日该死了，怎么在老孙面前捣鬼！我认得你是个‘那话儿’呵。”妖怪道：“师父，我是好人家儿女，不幸遭此大难，我怎么是个甚么‘那话儿’？”行者道：“你既是好人家儿女，怎么这等骨头轻？”妖怪道：“我骨格儿小。”行者道：“你今年几岁了？”那怪道：“我七岁了。”行者笑道：“一岁长一斤，也该七斤。你怎么不满四斤重么？”那怪道：“我小时失乳。”行者说：“也罢，我驮着你，若要尿尿把把[10]，须和我说。”三藏才与八戒、沙僧前走，行者背着孩儿随后，一行径投西去。有诗为证。诗曰：

道德高隆魔障高，禅机本静静生妖。

心君正直行中道，木母痴顽外[11]。

意马不言怀爱欲，黄婆无语自忧焦。

客邪得志空欢喜，毕竟还从正处消。

孙大圣驮着妖魔，心中埋怨唐僧不知艰苦：“行此险峻山场，空身也难走，却教老孙驮人。这厮莫说他是妖怪，就是好人，他没了父母，不知将他驮与何人，倒不如掼杀他罢。”那怪物却早知觉了，便就使个神通，往四下里吸了四口气，吹在行者背上，便觉重有千斤，行者笑道：“我儿呵，你弄重身法压我老爷哩！”那怪闻言，恐怕大圣伤他，却就解尸，出了元神，跳将起去，伫立在九霄空里。这行者背上越重了，猴王发怒，抓过他来，往那路旁边赖石头上滑辣的一掼，将尸骸掼得像个肉饼一般。还恐他又无礼，索性将四肢扯下，丢在路两边，俱粉碎了。

那物在空中明明看着，忍不住心头火起道：“这猴和尚，十分惫懒！就作我是个妖魔，要害你师父，却还不曾见怎么下手哩，你怎么就把我这等伤损！早是我有算计，出神走了。不然，是无故伤生也。若不趁此时拿了唐僧，再让一番，越教他停留长智[12]。”好怪物，就在半空里弄了一阵旋风，呼的一声响亮，走石扬沙，诚然凶狠。好风：

淘淘怒卷水云腥，黑气腾腾闭日明。

岭树连根通拔尽，野梅带干悉皆平。

黄沙迷目人难走，怪石伤残路怎平。

滚滚团团平地暗，遍山禽兽发哮声。

刮得那三藏马上难存，八戒不敢仰视，沙僧低头掩面。孙大圣情知是怪物弄风，急纵步来赶时，那怪已骋风头，将唐僧摄去了，无踪无影，不知摄向何方，无处跟寻。

一时间风声暂息，日色光明。行者上前观看，只见白龙马战兢兢发喊声嘶，行李担丢在路下，八戒伏于崖下呻吟，沙僧蹲在坡前叫唤。行者喊：“八戒！”那呆子听见是行者的声音，却抬头看时，狂风已静，爬起来，扯住行者道：“哥哥，好大风啊！”沙僧却也上前道：“哥哥，这是一阵旋风。”又问：“师父在那里？”八戒道：“风来得紧，我们都藏头遮眼，各自躲风，师父也伏在马上的。”行者道：“如今却往那里去了？”沙僧道：“是个灯草做的，想被一风卷去也。”

行者道：“兄弟们，我等自此就该散了！”八戒道：“正是，趁早散了，各寻头路，多少是好。那西天路无穷无尽，几时能到得！”沙僧闻言，打了一个失惊，浑身麻木道：“师兄，你都说的是那里话？我等因为前生有罪，感蒙观世音菩萨劝化，与我们摩顶受戒，改换法名，皈依佛果，情愿保护唐僧上西方拜佛求经，将功折罪。今日到此，一旦俱休，说出这等各寻头路的话来，可不违了菩萨的善果，坏了自己的德行，惹人耻笑，说我们有始无终也！”行者道：“兄弟，你说的也是，奈何师父不听人说。我老孙火眼金睛，认得好歹。才然这风，是那树上吊的孩儿弄的。我认得他是个妖精，你们不识，那师父也不识，认作是好人家儿女，教我驮着他走。是老孙算计要摆布他，他就弄个重身法压我。是我把他掼得粉碎，他想是又使解尸之法，弄阵旋风，把我师父摄去也。因此上怪他每每不听我说，故我意懒心灰，说各人散了。既是贤弟有此诚意，教老孙进退两难。——八戒，你端的要怎的处？”八戒道：“我才自失口乱说了几句，其实也不该散。哥哥，没及奈何，还信沙弟之言，去寻那妖怪救师父去。”行者却回嗔作喜道：“兄弟们，还要来结同心，收拾了行李、马匹，上山找寻怪物，搭救师父去。”

三个人附葛扳藤，寻坡转涧，行经有五七十里，却也没个音信。那山上飞禽走兽全无，老柏乔松常见。孙大圣着实心焦，将身一纵，跳上那巅险峰头，喝一声叫：“变！”变作三头六臂，似那大闹天宫的本像。将金箍棒，幌一幌，变作三根金箍棒，劈哩扑辣的，往东打一路，往西打一路，两边不住的乱打。八戒见了道：“沙和尚，不好了。师兄是寻不着师父，恼出气心风来了。”

那行者打了一会，打出一伙穷神来，都披一片，挂一片，裩无裆，裤无口的，跪在山前，叫：“大圣，山神、土地来见。”行者道：“怎么就有许多山神、土地？”众神叩头道：“上告大圣：此山唤做‘六百里钻头号山’，我等是十里一山神，十里一土地，共该三十名山神，三十名土地。昨日已此闻大圣来了，只因一时会不齐，故此接迟，致令大圣发怒。万望恕罪。”行者道：“我且饶你罪名。我问你，这山上有多少妖精？”众神道：“爷爷呀，只有得一个妖精，把我们头也摩光了，弄得我们少香没纸，血食全无，一个个衣不充身，食不充口，还吃得有多少妖精哩！”行者道：“这妖精在山前住，是山后住？”众神道：“他也不在山前山后。这山中有一条涧，叫做枯松涧。涧边有一座洞，叫做火云洞。那洞里有一个魔王，神通广大，常常的把我们山神、土地拿了去，烧火顶门，黑夜与他提铃喝号。小妖儿又讨甚么常例钱[13]。”行者道：“汝等乃是阴鬼之仙，有何钱钞？”众神道：“正是没钱与他，只得捉几个山獐、野鹿，早晚间打点群精；若是没物相送，就要来拆庙宇，剥衣裳，搅得我等不得安生！万望大圣与我等剿除此怪，拯救山上生灵。”行者道：“你等既受他节制，常在他洞下，可知他是那里妖精，叫做甚么名字？”众神道：“说起他来，或者大圣也知道。他是牛魔王的儿子，罗刹女养的。他曾在火焰山修行了三百年，炼成三昧真火，却也广大神通。牛魔王使他来镇守号山，乳名叫做红孩儿，号叫做圣婴大王。”

行者闻言，满心欢喜，喝退了土地、山神，却现了本像，跳下峰头，对八戒、沙僧道：“兄弟们放心，再不须思念，师父决不伤生。妖精与老孙有亲。”八戒笑道：“哥哥，莫要说谎。你在东胜神洲，他这里是西牛贺洲，路程遥远，隔着万水千山，海洋也有两道，怎的与你有亲？”行者道：“刚才这伙人都是本境土地、山神。我问他妖怪的原因，他道是牛魔王的儿子，罗刹女养的，名字唤做红孩儿，号圣婴大王。想我老孙五百年前大闹天宫时，遍游天下名山，寻访大地豪杰，那牛魔王曾与老孙结七兄弟。一般五六个魔王，止有老孙生得小巧，故此把牛魔王称为大哥。这妖精是牛魔王的儿子，我与他父亲相识，若论将起来，还是他老叔哩。他怎敢害我师父？我们趁早去来。”沙和尚笑道：“哥呵，常言道‘三年不上门，当亲也不亲’哩。你与他相别五六百年，又不曾往还杯酒，又没有个节礼相邀，他那里与你认甚么亲耶？”行者道：“你怎么这等量人！常言道：‘一叶浮萍归大海，为人何处不相逢！’纵然他不认亲，好道也不伤我师父。不望他相留酒席，必定也还我个囫囵唐僧。”三兄弟各办虔心，牵着白马，马上驮着行李，找大路一直前进。

无分昼夜，行了百十里远近，忽见一松林，林中有一条曲涧，涧下有碧澄澄的活水飞流，那涧梢头有一座石板桥，通着那厢洞府。行者道：“兄弟，你看那壁厢有石崖磷磷，想必是妖精住处了。我等从众商议，那个管看守行李、马匹，那个肯跟我过去降妖？”八戒道：“哥哥，老猪没甚坐性，我随你去罢。”行者道：“好！好！”教沙僧：“将马匹、行李俱潜在树林深处，小心守护，待我两个上门去寻师父耶。”那沙僧依命，八戒相随，与行者各持兵器前来。正是：未炼婴儿邪火胜，心猿木母共扶持。毕竟不知这一去吉凶何如，且听下回分解。

[1] 喜容：活人的画像。

[2] 捧毂（ɡǔ）推轮：扶着车毂推车前进，表示恭敬。毂，车轮中心插轴的部位。

[3] 阁泪：含着眼泪。

[4] （chōu）：顶，推。

[5] 卯酉星法：星法，星命之法，即旧时算命、算八字之类，是把社会人事的年月日时和地域方位，同天上的日月星辰和阴阳五行（金木水火土）牵合起来，以推定吉凶祸福的一种方术。这里的“卯酉星法”是一种嘲谑说法：卯时日出，酉时日落，一出一落，正好相背，所以下文说“叫他两不见面”。

[6] 抄：走近路的意思。

[7] 哏哏：狠心的样子。

[8] 无籍之人：即无赖汉。

[9] 扛：顶撞、抬杠。

[10] 把把：方言。粪便。用手端着婴儿让他大小便的动作，也叫把把。这里指前者。

[11] 外（qiáo）：走上歪路。，行走。

[12] 长智：学乖。

[13] 常例钱：按惯例应上交的钱，实际上是旧时官员吏役勒索百姓的名目。

CHAPTER 40. The child’s playful transformations confuse the Chan Mind; Ape, Horse, Spatula gone, Wood Mother, too, is lost.

We were telling you about the Great Sage Sun and his two brothers, who lowered their clouds and returned to the court. They were met by the king, the queen, and their subjects—all of them lined up in rows to bow and to express their thanks. Pilgrim then gave a complete account of how the Bodhisattva came to subdue the monster, and all the officials in court touched the top of their heads to the ground in adoration. As they were thus rejoicing, the Custodian of the Yellow Gate arrived to announce, “My lord, there are four more monks who have arrived at the gate.” A little apprehensive, Eight Rules said, “Elder Brother, could it be that the monster-spirit, having used magic to disguise himself as the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī to deceive us, has now changed again into some kind of monk to match wits with us?” “How could that be?” said Pilgrim, who then asked that the monks be summoned inside.

After the civil and military officials transmitted the order and the visitors entered, Pilgrim saw that they were monks from the Precious Grove Monastery, who came bearing the rising-to-Heaven cap, the green-jade belt, the brownish yellow robe, and the carefree boots. Highly pleased, Pilgrim said, “It’s wonderful that you’ve come!” He asked the mendicant worker to step forward: his head-wrap was taken off and the rising-to-Heaven cap was placed on his head; the cloth garment was stripped off and he put on the brownish yellow robe instead; after he untied the silk sash and took off the monk sandals, he buckled on the jade-green belt and climbed into the carefree boots. The prince was then told to bring out the white jade token so that the king might hold it in his hands, and he was asked to ascend the main hall to be the king once more. As the ancient proverb said, “The court should not be one day without a ruler.” But the king absolutely refused to sit on the throne; weeping profusely, he knelt on the steps and said, “I’ve been dead for three years, and I’m indebted to Master for making me return to life. How could I dare assume such honor again? Let one of these masters be the ruler; I’ll be perfectly content to go with my wife and child outside the city to live as a commoner.” Tripitaka, of course, would have none of this, for he was intent on going to worship Buddha and to acquire the scriptures. The king then turned to Pilgrim, who said to him, smiling, “To tell you the truth, if old Monkey wanted to be a king, he would have been one throughout the myriad kingdoms in the world. But all of us are used to the leisurely and carefree existence of monks. If I become a king, I will have to let my hair grow again; I won’t be able to retire when it’s dark, nor will I be able to sleep beyond the hour of the fifth watch. I’ll be anxious when reports from the borders arrive; I’ll have endless worries when there are disasters or famines. How could I live with these things? So, you may as well be the king, and we shall continue to be monks to cultivate our merit.” After pleading with them bitterly to no avail, the king had no choice but to ascend the treasure hall once more to face south and resume the use of the royal “we.” After giving a general pardon throughout his empire, he also bestowed huge rewards on the monks of the Precious Grove Monastery before they left. Then he opened up the eastern palace to give a banquet to honor the Tang Monk; at the same time, painters were summoned into the palace to make portraits of the four pilgrims, so that these could be permanently revered in the Hall of Golden Chimes.

After they had securely established the kingdom, master and disciples, reluctant to stay too long, were about to take leave of the throne to face the West. The king, the queen, the prince, and all their subjects took out the crown treasures together with gold, silver, and silk to present to the master as tokens of gratitude, but Tripitaka refused to accept any of these. All he wanted was to have his travel rescript certified so that he could tell Wukong and his brothers to saddle the horse and leave. Feeling very keenly that he had not expressed his gratitude in an adequate manner, the king called for his imperial chariot and invited the Tang Monk to sit in it. The two rows of civil and military officials were told to lead the way in front, while he, the prince, and the ladies of the three palaces pushed the chariot themselves. Only after they had gone out of the city wall was the Tang Monk permitted to descend from the dragon chariot to take leave. “O Master,” said the king, “when you have reached the Western Heaven and retrace your steps with your scriptures, you must pay our region a visit.” “Your disciple obeys you,” said Tripitaka, and the king went back to the city tearfully with his subjects. The Tang Monk and his three disciples again took up the labyrinthine path, their minds intent only on bowing at the Spirit Mountain. It was now the season of late autumn and early winter, and they saw

Frost blighting the maples to make each forest sparse,

And rain-ripened millet, plenty every where.

Warmed by the sun, summit plums spread their morning hues;

Rocked by the wind, mountain bamboos voice their chilly plaint.

After they left the Black Rooster Kingdom, master and disciples journeyed during the day and rested at night; they had been on the road for more than half a month when they came upon another tall mountain, truly Heaven-touching and sun-obstructing. Growing alarmed on the horse, Tripitaka quickly pulled in his reins to call Pilgrim. “What do you want to say, Master?” asked Pilgrim. “Look at that huge mountain with those rugged cliffs before us,” said Tripitaka. “You must take caution and be on your guard, for I fear that some deviate creature all of a sudden will come to attack me again.” “Just get moving,” said Pilgrim with a chuckle. “Don’t be suspicious. Old Monkey has his defense.” The elder had to banish his worries and urged his horse to enter the mountain, which was truly rugged. You see,

Whether tall or not,1

Its top reaches the blue sky;

Whether deep or not,

A stream with depth like Hell down there.

Before the mountain

Are often seen rings of white clouds rising

And boiling waves of dark fog;

Red plums and jadelike bamboos;

Verdant cedars and green pines;

Behind the mountain

Are soul-rending cliffs ten thousand yards deep,

Behind which are strange, grotesque, demon-hiding caves,

In which water drips down from rocks drop by drop,

Leading to a winding, twisting brooklet down below.

You see also fruit-bearing apes prancing and leaping,

And deer with horns forked and zigzagged;

Dull and dumbly staring antelopes;

Tigers climbing the hills to seek their dens at night;

Dragons churning the waves to leave their lairs at dawn.

When steps at the cave’s entrance snap and crackle,

The fowls dart up with wings loudly beating.

Look also at these beasts pawing noisily through the woods.

When you see this horde of birds and beasts,

You will be stricken with heart-pounding fear.

The Due-to-Fall Cave faces the Due-to-Fall Cave;

The cave facing the Due-to-Fall Cave faces a god.

Green rocks are dyed like a thousand pieces of jade;

Blue-green gauze enshrouds ten thousand piles of mist.

As master and disciples became more and more apprehensive, they saw a red cloud rising up from the fold of the mountain ahead of them; after it reached midair, it condensed and took on the appearance of a fireball. Greatly alarmed, Pilgrim ran forward to catch hold of one of the Tang Monk’s legs and pulled him from the horse, crying, “Brothers, stop! A monster is approaching!” Eight Rules and Sha Monk quickly took out their muckrake and precious staff and surrounded the Tang Monk.

Let us now tell you that there was indeed a monster-spirit inside the ball of red light. Several years ago he heard people saying that the Tang Monk sent from the Land of the East to acquire scriptures from the Western Heaven was the incarnation of the elder, Gold Cicada, a good man who had practiced austerities for ten existences. Any person who could taste a piece of his flesh, they said, would be able to prolong his life until it became the same as Heaven and Earth. Every morning, therefore, he waited in the mountain, and suddenly he found that the pilgrim had arrived. As he watched in midair, he saw that the Tang Monk beside the horse was surrounded by three disciples, all ready to fight. Marveling to himself, the spirit said, “Dear monk! This white-faced, chubby cleric riding a horse was just coming into my view, when all of a sudden these three ugly monks had him surrounded. Look at them! Everyone is rolling up his sleeves, stretching out his fists and wielding his weapon—as if he is about to fight with someone. Aha! One of them with some perception, I suppose, must have recognized me. Well, if it’s going to be like this, it’ll be difficult for anyone trying to get a taste of the Tang Monk’s flesh.” As he thought to himself, questioning his mind with mind like that, he said, “If I try to overpower them, I may not even get near them, but if I try to use the good to deceive them, I may succeed. As long as I am able to beguile their minds, I can trick them even with the good. Then I’ll catch them for sure. Let me go down and tease them a little.”

Dear monster! He made the red light disperse and lowered his cloud toward the fold of the mountain. Shaking his body, he changed immediately into a little mischievous boy, about seven years of age and completely naked, who was bound by a rope and suspended from the top of a pine tree. “Help! Help!” he cried without ceasing.

We were just telling you about the Great Sage Sun, who raised his head and found that the red cloud had completely dissipated and the flames all vanished. He therefore said, “Master, please mount up again for the journey.” “You just told us that there was a fiend approaching,” said the Tang Monk. “Do we dare proceed now?” “A little while ago,” said Pilgrim, “I saw a red cloud rising up from the ground, and by the time it reached midair, it condensed into a flaming ball of fire. It had to be a monster-spirit. But now the red cloud has dissipated, and so it must be a monster who’s a passerby and who does not dare harm people. Let’s go.”

“Elder Brother is truly clever with words,” said Eight Rules, chuckling. “Even monster-spirits can be passersby!”

“How would you know?” asked Pilgrim. “If some demon king of a certain cave in a certain mountain has sent out invitations to spirits of sundry mountains and caves to attend a festival, monster-spirits from all quarters—north, south, east, and west—would respond. Perhaps he’s just interested in going to the festival and not in harming people. That’s a monster-spirit who’s a passerby.”

When Tripitaka heard these words, he was only half-convinced, but he had little alternative other than to climb on his saddle to journey into the mountain. As they proceeded, they heard suddenly repeated cries of “Help!” Highly startled, the elder said, “O Disciples! Who’s calling out in the midst of this mountain?” Pilgrim walked forward and said to him, “Master, keep moving. Don’t harp on such things as human carriage,2 donkey carriage, open carriage, or reclining carriage. Even if there were a carriage in a place like this, there wouldn’t be anyone to carry you.” “I’m not talking about carriages,” said the Tang Monk. “I’m referring to someone calling us.” “I know,” said Pilgrim with laughter, “but mind your own business. Let’s move on.”

Tripitaka agreed and urged his horse forward once more. Before they had traveled a mile, they heard again the call, “Help!” “Disciple,” said the elder, “the sound of this call can’t be that of a demon or a goblin, for if it were, there would be no echo. Just listen to it: there was a call a moment ago, and now we have another one. It must have come from a man in dire difficulty. Let’s go and help him.” Pilgrim said, “Master, please put away your compassion just for today! When we have crossed this mountain, you can be compassionate then. If you know those stories about strange plants and possessed vegetations, you should know that everything can become a spirit. In most cases, they may not be too dangerous, but if you should run into something like a python, which has become an evil spirit after prolonged self-cultivation, you’d be in trouble. A spirit like that can even possess knowledge of a person’s nickname. If he should call out, hiding in the bushes or in the fold of the mountain, a person may get by if he does not answer him, but if he does answer, the spirit can snatch away his primal soul, or he can follow that person and take his life that night. Let’s get away! Let’s get away! As the ancients said, ‘If you escape, just thank the gods.’ Please don’t listen to this call.”

The elder had little alternative but to agree and he whipped his horse to go forward. Pilgrim thought to himself, “I wonder where this brazen fiend is hollering. Let old Monkey give him a taste of ‘Cancer in opposition to Capricornus’ so that the two will never meet.” Dear Great Sage! He said to Sha Monk, “Hold on to the horse and walk slowly. Old Monkey’s going to take a leak.” Look at him! He let the Tang Monk walk slightly ahead and then recited a spell to exercise the magic of shortening the ground and moving the mountain. He pointed his golden-hooped rod backward once, and master and disciples immediately went past the peak of the mountain, leaving behind the fiendish creature. In big strides, the Great Sage caught up with the Tang Monk and they proceeded. Just then Tripitaka heard again a call coming from the mountain behind him, crying “Help!” The elder said, “O Disciple! That person in adversity truly has no affinity, for he has not run into any of us. We must have passed him, for you can hear that he is crying out from the mountain behind us.” “Or he may be still ahead of us,” said Eight Rules, “but perhaps the wind has changed.” “Never mind whether the wind has changed or not,” said Pilgrim. “Just keep moving.” As a result, everyone fell silent and concentrated on trying to pass the mountain, and we shall speak no more of them for the moment.

We tell you instead about that monster-spirit in the mountain valley: he cried out for three or four times but no one appeared. He thought to himself, “When I saw the Tang Monk just now, he couldn’t have been more than three miles away. I’ve been waiting for him all this time. Why hasn’t he arrived? Could it be that he had taken another road down the mountain?” Shaking his body, he loosened the rope at once and mounted the red light once more to rise into the air. Unwittingly the Great Sage Sun was looking back with head upturned, and when he saw the light, he knew that it was the fiendish creature. Once more he grabbed the legs of the Tang Monk and pushed him off the horse, crying, “Brothers, take care! Take care! That monster-spirit is approaching again!” Eight Rules and Sha Monk were so alarmed that they wielded their rake and staff to surround the Tang Monk as before.

When that spirit saw what happened in midair, he could not stop marveling, saying to himself, “Dear monks! I just saw that white-faced priest riding on the horse. How is it that he is now surrounded again by the three of them? Now I realize, after what I’ve seen, that I must overthrow the one who has perception before I can seize the Tang Monk. If not,

My exertions are vain for I can’t get my thing;

My efforts notwithstanding, all is nothing!”

He lowered his cloud and transforming himself as before, he hung himself high on top of a pine tree. This time, however, he positioned himself only about half a mile away.

We tell you now about the Great Sage Sun, who when he raised his head and found that the red cloud had dispersed, requested once more that his master mount up and proceed. “You just told us that the monster-spirit was approaching again,” said Tripitaka. “Why do you ask me to move on?” Pilgrim said, “This monster-spirit is a passerby. He doesn’t dare bother us.” The elder grew angry and said, “You brazen ape! You’re just playing with me! When there is a demon, you say it’s nothing. But when we are in this peaceful region, you are out to frighten me, yelling all the time about a monster-spirit. There’s more falsehood than truth in your words, and without regard for good or ill, you grab my legs and throw me off the horse. Now you come up with an explanation about this monster-spirit who’s a so-called passerby! If I got hurt from the fall, would you be able to live with yourself? You, you . . .” “Please don’t be offended, Master,” said Pilgrim. “If your hands and feet got hurt from the fall, we could still take care of you, but if you were abducted by a monster-spirit, where would we go to look for you?” Enraged, Tripitaka would have recited the Tight-Fillet Spell had not Sha Monk desperately pleaded with him. Finally he mounted his horse and proceeded once more.

Before he could even sit properly on the saddle he heard another cry: “Master, please help me!” As he looked up, the elder found that it came from a little child, completely naked, who was suspended on top of a tree. He pulled in the reins and began to berate Pilgrim, saying, “You wretched ape! How villainous you are! You don’t have the tiniest bit of kindness in you! Every thought of yours is bent on making mischief and working violence! I told you that it was a human voice calling for help, but you have to spend countless words to claim it was a monster. Look! Isn’t that a person hanging on the tree?” Seeing how the master was putting the blame on him and also the form before his face, the Great Sage lowered his head and dared not reply, for there was nothing he could do at the moment and he was afraid that his master would recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. He had little choice, in fact, but to permit the Tang Monk to approach the tree. Pointing with his whip, the elder asked, “Which household do you belong to, child? Why are you hung here? Tell me, so that I can rescue you.”

Alas! Clearly this is a monster-spirit who has transformed himself in this manner, but that master is a man of fleshly eyes and mortal stock, completely unable to recognize what he saw.

When that demon heard the question, he became even more bold in his chicanery. With tears welling up in his eyes, he said, “O Master! West of this mountain there is a Withered Pine Brook, by the side of which there is a village where my family is located. My grandfather’s name is Red, and because he has amassed a huge fortune, he was given the name Red Millions. He has, however, been dead for a long time after having lived to a ripe old age, and his estate was left to my father. Recent business reversals have gradually fribbled away our possessions, and my father for that reason has changed his name to Red Thousands. He has been, you see, befriending many men of valor, to whom he had lent gold and silver with the hope of reaping some profits. Little did he realize that these were all rootless men out to swindle him, and he lost both principal and interest. My father therefore vowed that he would never lend out another penny, but those borrowers, after having squandered what they had, banded together and plundered our house in broad daylight, holding lit torches and staffs. Not only did they rob us of all our money and possessions, but they killed my father also. And when they saw that my mother was somewhat attractive, they decided to abduct her and take her with them to be some kind of camp lady. Unwilling to abandon me, my mother carried me along in her bosom and, weeping, followed the thieves to this mountain, where they wanted to kill me also. Fortunately, my mother pleaded with them and I was spared the knife; I was tied with ropes and hung here to die of hunger and exposure instead. I don’t know what sort of merit I’ve accumulated in another existence that brings me the luck of meeting Master here. If you are willing to be compassionate and save my life so that I can return home, I shall try to repay your kindness even if I have to sell myself. Even when the yellow sand covers my face, I will not forget your kindness.”

When Tripitaka heard these words, he thought they were the truth and immediately asked Eight Rules to loosen the ropes and rescue the child. Not knowing any better either, Idiot was about to act when Pilgrim on one side could not restrain himself any longer. “You brazen thing!” he shouted. “There’s someone here who recognizes you! Don’t think you can use your humbuggery to hoodwink people! If your possessions were stolen, if your father was killed and your mother taken by thieves, to whom would we entrust you once we rescued you? With what would you thank us? Your fables don’t add up!”

When the fiend heard these words, he became frightened, realizing that the Great Sage was an able man to be reckoned with. Trembling all over, the fiend spoke as tears flowed down his face, “Master, though my parents are lost and gone, and though the wealth of our family is reduced to nothing, I still have some land and relatives.” “What sort of relatives do you have?” asked Pilgrim. The fiend said, “The household of my maternal family lives south of this mountain, while my aunties reside north of the peak. Li Four at the head of the brook is the husband of my mother’s sister, and Red Three in the forest is a distant uncle. I have, moreover, several cousins living here and there in the village. If Venerable Master is willing to save me and take me to see these relatives at the village, I shall certainly give them a thorough account of your kindness, and you will be handsomely rewarded when we sell some of our land.”

When Eight Rules heard what he said, he pushed Pilgrim aside, saying, “Elder Brother, this is only a child! Why keep on interrogating him? What he told us was that the thieves had robbed them of their liquid assets. They couldn’t take their houses and land, could they? If he will speak to his relatives, we may have huge appetites, but we can’t eat up the price of ten acres of land. Let’s cut him down.” Idiot, of course, thought only of food; he had no further regard for good or ill, and using the ritual razor, he ripped open the ropes to free the fiend. Facing the Tang Monk tearfully, the fiend knelt beneath the horse and kept on kowtowing. A compassionate man, the elder called out, “Child, get up on the horse. I’ll take you there.” “O Master,” said the fiend, “my hands and feet are numb from the hanging, and my torso hurts. Moreover, I’m a rural person and not used to riding horses.” The Tang Monk at once asked Eight Rules to carry him, but the fiend, after glancing at Idiot, said, “Master, my skin is frostbitten, and I dare not let myself be carried by this master. He has such a long mouth and large ears, and the hard bristles behind his head can be frightfully prickly!” “Let Sha Monk carry you then,” said the Tang Monk. After glancing at him also, the fiend said, “Master, when those robbers came to plunder our house, each one of them had his face painted; they wore false beards and they held knives and staffs. I was terribly frightened by them, and now when I see this master with such a gloomy complexion, I’m even more intimidated. I just don’t dare to ask him to carry me.” The Tang Monk therefore told Pilgrim Sun to put the fiend on his back. Laughing uproariously, Pilgrim said, “I’ll carry him! I’ll carry him!”

Secretly pleased, the fiendish creature gave himself willingly to Pilgrim to carry. When Pilgrim pulled him up from the side of the road to test his weight, he found that the fiend weighed no more than three catties and ten ounces. “You audacious fiend!” said Pilgrim, laughing. “You deserve to die today! How dare you pull tricks before old Monkey? I recognize you to be ‘that something.’” “I’m the offspring of a good family,” said the fiend, “and it is my misfortune to face this great ordeal. What do you mean by ‘that something’?” “If you are an offspring of a good family,” said Pilgrim, “why are your bones so light?” “They are small,” said the fiend. “How old are you now?” said Pilgrim, and the fiend said, “I’m seven years old.” “Even if you put on only one catty of weight per year,” said Pilgrim, “you should now weigh seven catties. How is it that you are not even a full four catties?” “I didn’t get enough milk when I was a baby,” said the fiend. Pilgrim said, “All right, I’ll carry you, but if you want to piss, you must tell me.” Tripitaka then walked in front with Eight Rules and Sha Monk, while Pilgrim followed behind with the child on his back. As they proceeded toward the West, we have a poem as a testimony, and the poem says:

Though virtue’s lofty, demonic blocks are high.

Chan promotes stillness, but stillness breeds fiends.

Lord of the Mind’s upright, he takes the middle way;

Wood Mother’s3 naughty, he walks a wayward path.

Horse of the Will’s silent, nursing want and greed;

Yellow Dame’s wordless, feeling his unease.

Guest-Error succeeds but his joys are vain—

They will, at last, be melted by the Right.

As the Great Sage Sun carried the demon on his back, he began to brood over his resentment toward the Tang Monk, thinking to himself, “Master truly does not know how difficult it is to traverse this rugged mountain; it’s hard enough to do so when you are empty-handed, but he has to ask old Monkey to carry someone else, not to mention a fellow who’s a monster no less. Even if he were a good man, it would be worthless to carry him along, since he had already lost both parents. To whom would we carry him? I might as well smash him dead!” At once the fiendish creature became aware of what Pilgrim was thinking and he, therefore, resorted to magic: taking four deep breaths from the four quarters, he blew them onto the back of Pilgrim, and his bearer immediately felt as if a weight of a thousand pounds were on him. “My child,” said Pilgrim, chuckling, “you are using the heavy-body magic to crush your venerable father?” When the fiend heard those words, he became afraid that the Great Sage might harm him. He liberated himself from his corpse and his primal soul rose into the air and stood there, while the weight on Pilgrim’s back grew heavier. Growing angry, the Monkey King grabbed the body on his back and hurled it against some rocks at the side of the road; the body was reduced to a meat patty. Fearing that it would still be resistant, Pilgrim tore off the four limbs and smashed them to pieces, also by the road.

When the fiend saw clearly what happened in midair, he could not restrain the fire leaping up in his heart, saying to himself, “This monkey monk! How villainous of him! Even if I am a demon plotting to harm your master, I have yet to raise my hand. How could you seek to inflict on me such injury? It’s a good thing that I have enough foresight to leave with my spirit; otherwise, I would have unwittingly lost my life. I might as well make use of this opportunity to seize the Tang Monk, for if I delay any further, he might get even smarter.” Dear monster! He at once caused to rise in midair a truly fierce whirlwind, which threw up rocks and kicked up dirt. Marvelous wind!

Angrily it whipped up clouds and waters rank,

As rising black ether blotted out the sun.

All summit trees were pulled out by their roots;

Wild plums were wholly leveled with their branches.

Yellow sand dimmed the eyes, so men could not walk.

Strange rocks battered the road, how could it be smooth?

It churned and tossed to darken all the plains

While birds and beasts howled throughout this whole mount.

The wind blew until Tripitaka could hardly stay on the horse, until Eight Rules refused to look up and Sha Monk lowered his head and covered his face. Only the Great Sage Sun knew that it was a wind sent up by the fiend, but when he ran forward to try to catch up with the others, the fiend riding on the head of the wind had already caught hold of the Tang Monk and whisked him away. Instantly they vanished without a trace, so that there was no way for the disciples to know even where to look for them.

In a little while, the wind began to subside and sunlight appeared once more. Pilgrim walked forward and saw that the white dragon horse was still trembling and neighing uncontrollably. The load of luggage was thrown by the road, Eight Rules lay sprawled beneath a ledge moaning, and Sha Monk was making noises while crouching on the slope. “Eight Rules!” shouted Pilgrim. When Idiot heard the voice of Pilgrim and looked up, the violent wind had calmed. He scrambled up and tugged at Pilgrim, saying, “O Elder Brother, what a terrific wind!” Sha Monk also came up and said, “Elder Brother, this is a whirlwind.” Then he asked, “Where’s Master?” Eight Rules said, “The wind was so strong that we all hid our heads and covered our eyes, each trying to find shelter. Master seemed to have put his head down also on the saddle.” “But where is he now?” asked Pilgrim. “He must have been made of straw,” said Sha Monk, “and got blown away!”

Pilgrim said, “Brothers, it’s time for us to disband.” “Exactly,” said Eight Rules, “while there’s still time. It’s better for each of us to find our own way off. The journey to the Western Heaven is endless and limitless! When will we ever get there?” When Sha Monk heard these words, he was so shocked that his whole body began to turn numb. “Elder Brother,” he said, “how could you say something like that? Because we committed crimes in our previous lives, we were lucky to be enlightened by the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin, who touched our heads, gave us the commandments, and changed our names so that we could embrace the Buddhist fruit. We willingly accepted the commission to protect the Tang Monk and follow him to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and acquire scriptures, so that our merits would cancel out our sins. Today we are here and everything seems to come to an end abruptly when you can talk about each of us finding our own way off, for then we would mar the good fruits of the Bodhisattva and destroy our virtuous act. Moreover, we would provoke the scorn of others, saying that we know how to start but not how to finish.”

“Brother,” said Pilgrim, “what you say is right, of course, but what are we to do with Master, who refuses to listen to people? I, old Monkey, can with this pair of fiery eyes and diamond pupils discern good and evil. Just now this wind was called up by that child hanging on the tree, for I could tell that he was a monster-spirit. But you didn’t know, nor did Master; all of you thought that he was an offspring of some good family and told me to carry him along instead. Old Monkey was planning to take care of him when he tried to crush me with the heavy-body magic. Then I smashed his body to pieces, but he resorted to the magic of the liberation of the corpse and kidnapped Master with the whirlwind. Because Master so frequently refused to listen to my words, I became terribly discouraged and that was why I said we should disband. Now that you, Worthy Brother, have shown such faithfulness, old Monkey finds it difficult to make up his mind. Well, Eight Rules, what exactly do you want to do?” Eight Rules said, “I was stupid enough just now to mouth some foolish words, but we truly should not disband. We have no choice really, Elder Brother, but to listen to Younger Brother Sha and try to find the monster and save Master.” Brightening up all at once, Pilgrim said, “Brothers, we shall unite our minds to do what we must; after we have picked up the luggage and the horse, we shall ascend this mountain to find the monster and save Master.”

Pulling at creepers and vines, descending into ravines and crossing streams, the three of them journeyed for some seventy miles without turning up anything. That mountain did not have a single bird or beast, though old cedars and pines were often sighted. Growing more and more anxious, the Great Sage Sun leaped up to the summit with a bound and shouted, “Change!” He changed into someone with three heads and six arms, just as he did when he caused great disturbance in Heaven. Waving the golden-hooped rod once, he changed it into three rods, which he wielded and began to strike out madly in both directions of east and west. When Eight Rules saw him, he said, “Sha Monk, this is bad! Elder Brother is so mad because he can’t find Master that he’s having a fit.”

After awhile, the mock combat of Pilgrim brought out a band of indigent deities, all dressed in rags; their breeches had no seats and their trousers had no cuffs. Kneeling before the mountain, they cried, “Great Sage, the mountain gods and the local spirits are here to see you.” Pilgrim said, “How is it that there are so many mountain gods and local spirits?” Kowtowing, the various deities said, “Let us report to the Great Sage, this mountain has the name of Roaring Mountain of the Six-Hundred-Mile Awl-Head Peak.4 There are one mountain god and one local spirit for each ten-mile distance; altogether we have, therefore, thirty mountain gods and thirty local spirits. We heard yesterday already that the Great Sage had arrived, but since we could not assemble all at once, we were tardy in our reception and caused the Great Sage to be angry. Please pardon us.”

“I’ll pardon you for the moment,” said Pilgrim, “but let me ask how many monster-spirits there are in this mountain?”

“O Father!” said the deities, “there’s only one monster-spirit, and he has just about worn our heads bald! He has been such a plague that we have little incense and no paper money, and we are completely without offerings. Every one of us has hardly enough clothes to wear and food for our mouths. How many more monster-spirits could we stand?” Pilgrim said, “Where is this monster-spirit living, before or behind the mountain?” “Neither place,” said the deities, “for in this mountain is a stream, which has the name of Dried Pine Stream. By the stream is a cave, which has the name of Fiery Cloud Cave. In the cave there is a demon king of vast magic powers, who frequently abducts us local spirits and mountain gods there to do such menial tasks for him as tending fire, guarding the door, beating the rattle, and shouting passwords at night. The little fiends under him also ask us frequently for payola.”

“You are the immortals of the Region of Darkness,” said Pilgrim. “Where would you have money?” “Exactly,” said the deities. “We don’t have any money to give them, and all we can do is to catch a few mountain antelopes or wild deer to pay off this gang of spirits now and then. If we don’t have any presents for them, they will come to wreck our temples and strip our garments, giving us such harrassment that we can’t possibly lead a peaceful existence. We beseech the Great Sage to stamp out this monster for us and rescue the various living creatures on this mountain.” “If all of you are under his thumb so that you have to be in his cave frequently,” said Pilgrim, “you must know the name of this monster-spirit and where he is from.” “When we speak of him,” said the deities, “perhaps even the Great Sage knows of his origin. He is the son of the Bull Demon King, reared by Rākṣasī. After he had practiced self-cultivation at the Blazing Flame Mountain for three hundred years, he perfected the true fire of Samādhi and his magic powers were great indeed. The Bull Demon King told him to come and guard this Roaring Mountain; his childhood name is Red Boy, but his fancy title is Great King Holy Child.”

Highly pleased by what he heard, Pilgrim dismissed the local spirits and mountain gods and changed back into his original form. Leaping down from the summit, he said to Eight Rules and Sha Monk, “Brothers, you may relax. No need to worry anymore. Master won’t be harmed, for the monster-spirit is related to old Monkey.” “Elder Brother,” said Eight Rules with a laugh, “don’t lie! You grew up in the East Pūrvavideha Continent, but this place here belongs to the West Aparagodānīya Continent. The distance is great, separated by ten thousand waters and a thousand hills, and by at least two oceans. How could he be related to you?” Pilgrim said, “Just now this bunch of deities that appeared to me happen to be the local spirits and mountain gods of this region. When I questioned them on the origin of the monster, they told me that he was the son of the Bull Demon King reared by Rākṣasī. His name is Red Boy, and he also has the fancy title of Great King Holy Child. I remember that when old Monkey caused great disturbance in Heaven five hundred years ago, I made a grand tour at the time of the famous mountains in the world to search for the heroes of this great Earth. The Bull Demon King at one time joined old Monkey and others to form a fraternal alliance of seven; of the some five or six demon kings in this alliance, only old Monkey was quite small in size. That was the reason why we addressed the Bull Demon King as big brother. Since this monster-spirit is the son of the Bull Demon King, who is an acquaintance of mine, I should be regarded as his old uncle if we begin to talk about relations. How would he dare harm my master? Let’s get to his place quickly.”

With laughter, Sha Monk said, “O Elder Brother! As the proverb says,

Three years not showing at the door,

A relative is one no more.

You were parted from him for five, perhaps six hundred years; you haven’t even drunk a cup of wine with him, nor have you exchanged invitations or seasonal gifts. How could he possibly think of himself as your relative?” “How could you measure people this way?” said Pilgrim. “As the proverb says,

If lotus leaf can to the ocean flow,

Where would people not meet as they come and go?

Even if he doesn’t admit the fact that we are relatives, it will still be unlikely that he would harm my Master. If we don’t expect him to give us a banquet, we most certainly may expect him to return to us the Tang Monk whole.” So, the three brothers in all earnestness led the horse, which carried the luggage on its back, and found the main road to proceed.

Without stopping night or day, they came upon a pine forest after having traveled for over a hundred miles. Inside the forest was a winding brook in which clear green water swiftly flowed. At the head of the brook there was a stone-slab bridge, which led directly up to the entrance of a cave dwelling. “Brothers,” said Pilgrim, “look at that craggy cliff over there with all those rocks. It must be the home of the monster-spirit. Let me discuss the matter with you: which of you is going to stand and guard the luggage and the horse, and which of you will follow me to subdue the fiend?” Eight Rules said, “Elder Brother, old Hog can’t sit still for too long. Let me go with you.” “Fine! Fine!” said Pilgrim. “Sha Monk, hide the luggage and the horse deep in the forest, and guard them carefully. The two of us will go up there to search for Master.” Sha Monk agreed; Eight Rules then followed Pilgrim to move forward, each of them holding his weapon. Truly

The child’s not smelted and demonic fire triumphs,

But Wood Mother and Mind Monkey have mutual support.

We don’t know what will be the outcome when they walk up to the cave; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.