The esteemed Zhenyuan Daxian personally helped Sun Wukong to his feet and said, "I know you're quite capable and have heard of your reputation. But this time, you really crossed the line. No matter how well you can fly on clouds, you won't escape from my grasp. Even if I have to follow you all the way to the Western Heaven to see your Buddha, I'll make sure he restores my ginseng fruit tree. Don't try any tricks!" Wukong chuckled and replied, "You're really stingy, old man! Bringing a tree back to life is no big deal. If you'd said so earlier, we could've avoided all this trouble." The Daxian said, "Without a fight, would I have let you off so easily?" Wukong responded, "How about this: you let my master go, and I'll give you a living tree." The Daxian said, "If you truly have that ability and can revive the tree, I'll become sworn brothers with you." Wukong agreed, "Deal! Release them, and I promise to restore your tree." The Daxian, confident Wukong wouldn't escape, ordered the release of Tang Sanzang, Bajie, and Sha Seng. Sha Seng muttered, "Master, I wonder what trick Brother is up to."
Bajie chimed in, "Trick? This is just a show! The tree is dead; how can it be revived? He's just looking for an excuse to slip away, not caring about us!" Sanzang said, "He wouldn't dare abandon us. We should ask him where he's going to find medicine." So he called out, "Wukong, how did you persuade the Daxian to release us?" Wukong replied, "I told the truth, how could that be trickery?" Sanzang asked, "Where are you going to find the medicine?" Wukong said, "As the saying goes, 'The remedy comes from across the seas.' I'm planning to head to the Eastern Ocean, visit the Three Islands and Ten Continents, consult with immortals, and find a way to revive the tree."
Sanzang asked, "How long will it take you to return?" Wukong said, "Just three days." Sanzang said, "Alright, I'll give you three days. If you're not back by then, I'll recite the tightening spell." Wukong assured, "Understood, understood." With that, he quickly adjusted his tiger-skin skirt and told the Daxian, "Rest assured, sir, I'll be back soon. Take good care of my master—three meals a day, don't let him miss a single one. If anything's lacking, I'll settle the score with you when I return, starting with breaking your pots. If his clothes are dirty, wash them. If his face looks pale, that's none of my business; but if he loses weight, I won't leave." The Daxian replied, "Go ahead, I won't let him go hungry."
With that, the clever Monkey King swiftly took to the skies on his somersault cloud, bidding farewell to Wuzhuang Temple and heading straight for the Eastern Ocean. In the sky, he moved as fast as lightning and as swiftly as a shooting star, soon arriving at the fairyland of Penglai. Descending from the clouds, he took in the view—what a magnificent place! There's a poem that captures it: "In this earthly fairyland, celestial beings gather. Penglai stands firm amidst the waves. The shadow of Jade Terrace dips into the cool heart of the sky, while the light of the giant tower floats high above the sea. Five-colored mists whisper with jade melodies, and the stars and moon of the ninth heaven shine upon the golden turtle. The Queen Mother of the West often visits here, celebrating the Three Immortals with peach banquets." Wukong, unable to take in all the scenic wonders, proceeded directly into Penglai. As he walked, he noticed three old men playing chess under a pine tree outside the White Cloud Cave. The one observing was the Star of Longevity, while the players were the Stars of Fortune and Prosperity. Wukong approached and greeted them, "Hey, old buddies, how's it going?" The three stars, seeing him, put away their chessboard and returned the greeting, "What brings the Great Sage here?" Wukong replied, "Just came to hang out with you guys." The Star of Longevity said, "I heard the Great Sage abandoned Daoism for Buddhism, escorting Tang Monk to fetch scriptures in the Western Heaven, tirelessly traveling day and night. How do you have time to play?" Wukong said, "To be honest, I'm facing a bit of a roadblock on the way to the West, so I came to seek your advice. Can you help?" The Star of Fortune asked, "Where is this roadblock? What's the problem? Tell us, and we'll see how we can assist." Wukong explained, "It's at Wuzhuang Temple on Mount Wanshou." The three old men were surprised, "Wuzhuang Temple is the immortal palace of Zhenyuan Daxian. You didn't steal his ginseng fruit, did you?" Wukong laughed, "What's the big deal about stealing some fruit?" The three old men exclaimed, "You cheeky monkey, you have no idea! Just smelling that fruit can extend your life by 360 years; eating one grants 47,000 years of life. It's called the Longevity Grass Elixir. Our cultivation is far inferior to his! He easily obtains it and can live as long as the heavens. We still have to nurture our essence, refine our qi, cultivate our spirit, harmonize the dragon and tiger, capture Kan and fill Li, which takes countless efforts. How can you say it's no big deal? There's only this kind of spiritual root in the world!" Wukong replied, "Spiritual root, you say? Well, I've already cut it off at the root!"
The three elders were shocked and asked, "How did it get uprooted?" The Monkey King replied, "The other day, when we were at his temple, the great immortal was not at home. Only two young attendants were there to host my master and offered him two ginseng fruits. My master didn't recognize them and thought they were newborn babies, so he refused to eat them despite repeated offers. The attendants then ate them themselves and didn't share with us. So, I stole three of them, and my three brothers ate them. The attendants, not knowing their place, kept cursing us as thieves. Annoyed, I hit their tree with a stick, knocking it over. The tree lost all its fruit, branches split, leaves fell, roots were exposed, and it withered and died. The attendants locked us up, but I broke the lock and escaped. The next morning, the master returned, and during our conversation, we disagreed and ended up in a fight. He flicked his sleeve, and we were all captured in it. We were tied up and whipped for a day. That night, I escaped again, but he caught up and captured us once more. He was unarmed, only using a duster to block us, and our three weapons couldn't touch him. Again, he rolled up my master and two brothers in a cloth and threw me into an oil cauldron. I escaped using a trick and broke the cauldron. Seeing he couldn't catch me, he was somewhat annoyed. I then negotiated with him, promising to heal the tree and make peace if he released my master and brothers. I thought of you three elder brothers and came to seek a remedy from you to save Tang Monk from his plight." The three stars, upon hearing this, were troubled and said, "You monkey, you don't recognize people. Zhenyuanzi is the ancestor of earthly immortals, and we are the ancestors of celestial immortals. Although you have achieved heavenly immortality, you are still in the lesser ranks and haven't entered the true flow. How could you escape his grasp? If it were any other creature you killed, we could revive it with our millet elixir. But the ginseng fruit is the root of an immortal tree; how can it be treated? There is no remedy, no remedy." The Monkey King, hearing there was no remedy, furrowed his brows and frowned deeply. The Lucky Star said, "Great Sage, there may be no remedy here, but there might be elsewhere. Why worry?" The Monkey King replied, "Finding a remedy elsewhere may be easy, but even if I travel to the ends of the earth or through the thirty-six heavens, it's a small matter. It's just that my master, Tang Monk, is strict and narrow-minded, giving me only a three-day limit. If I don't return within three days, he'll recite the Tightening Spell." The three stars laughed and said, "Good! Good! If it weren't for this method to restrain you, you'd be drilling through the heavens." The Longevity Star said, "Great Sage, don't worry. The great immortal, though of a senior generation, is acquainted with us. First, we haven't visited him in a long time; second, it's on behalf of the Great Sage. Now, the three of us will go visit him and explain the situation, asking him not to recite the Tightening Spell for three or five days until you find a remedy. Then we will part." The Monkey King said, "Thank you! Thank you! Please go ahead, and I shall be on my way." The Great Sage bid farewell to the three stars.
The three stars then ascended on their clouds and headed straight for the Wuzhuang Temple. The people in the temple were idly chatting when they suddenly heard the sound of cranes in the sky. It was the three old immortals arriving. The scene was truly spectacular: the sky was filled with auspicious light, fragrant aromas wafted through the air, and colorful clouds surrounded their feathered robes, with light clouds supporting their immortal feet. Azure phoenixes danced, and crimson phoenixes circled, filling the air with fragrant breezes. The three old immortals were all smiling and in high spirits, exuding an aura of great fortune.
The young attendants, seeing this grand display, hurried to report, "Master, the Three Stars from the sea have arrived." Zhenyuanzi was chatting with Tang Monk and his disciples when he heard the news and immediately went down the steps to greet them. When Pigsy saw the Longevity Star, he immediately approached and joked, "Old man, it's been a long time, and you're still so casual, not even wearing a hat." Saying this, he placed his monk's hat on the Longevity Star's head and laughed, "Good! Good! Truly adding a crown and bringing fortune!" The Longevity Star threw the hat away and scolded, "You fool, you really don't know what's good for you!" Pigsy laughed and said, "I'm not the fool; you are the servants!" The Lucky Star laughed and said, "You're the fool, daring to call others servants!" Pigsy laughed again, "If you're not servants, then why are you called Add Longevity, Add Fortune, and Add Prosperity?" Tang Monk quickly reprimanded Pigsy, tidied his clothes, and paid respects to the Three Stars. The Three Stars also greeted the great immortal as juniors. Once everyone was seated, the Prosperity Star spoke, "We haven't visited in a long time, which is disrespectful. Today, we came because the Great Sage disturbed the immortal mountain and specifically came to visit." The great immortal asked, "Did Sun Wukong go to Penglai?" The Longevity Star replied, "Yes, because he damaged your immortal tree, he came to us for a remedy. We couldn't help, so he went elsewhere to find one. But he feared violating the monk's three-day limit and having the Tightening Spell recited. We came first to visit and second to ask for an extension." Tang Monk quickly said, "I dare not recite it, I dare not recite it."
As they were speaking, Pigsy ran in again, grabbing the Lucky Star, trying to get some fruit to eat. He rummaged through the Lucky Star’s sleeves, searched around his waist, and lifted his clothes to search everywhere. Tang Monk laughed and said, “Pigsy, what kind of manners are these?” Pigsy replied, “This is called ‘fortune in every turn.’” Tang Monk ordered him to leave again, and Pigsy walked out while staring at the Lucky Star without blinking. The Lucky Star said, “You fool! What have I done to offend you that you hate me so?” Pigsy said, “I don’t hate you; this is called ‘looking back at fortune.’” As he stepped out, he saw a young attendant holding four teaspoons, about to knock on some fruit to make tea. Pigsy snatched them away, ran into the hall, and started clanging and playing with the small bells. The Great Immortal said, “This monk is becoming more and more disrespectful!” Pigsy laughed and said, “This is called ‘four seasons of joy.’”
Leaving Pigsy’s antics aside, let’s talk about Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong rode his cloud away from Penglai and soon arrived at the Fangzhang Immortal Mountain. This place was truly a wonderful spot, as a poem attests: "Fangzhang stands majestically, a different sky, Taiyuan Palace gathers immortals high. Purple terraces light the Three Pure Ones’ path, fragrant flowers and trees float five-colored smoke. Golden phoenixes often circle the jade towers, who dares irrigate the mushroom fields with jade dew? Green peaches and purple plums newly ripe, once more changing the immortals’ faith in eternity." Wukong descended from his cloud, uninterested in appreciating the scenery, when he suddenly smelled a fragrant breeze and heard a mysterious crane’s call. He saw an immortal surrounded by a sky full of rosy clouds, colorful mist swirling around, a red phoenix holding flowers, and a blue phoenix dancing, creating a lively scene. This immortal had luck as vast as the Eastern Sea and a lifespan like the Southern Mountain, appearing like a young boy, robust and healthy.
Wukong approached and shouted, “Emperor, greetings!” The Emperor quickly returned the greeting, “Great Sage, pardon my lack of welcome. Please come to my humble abode for tea.” So they entered the immortal palace hand in hand. Indeed, it was a shell-encrusted immortal palace, with jade pools and beautiful pavilions, a sight to behold. As they sat waiting for tea, a young boy emerged from behind a green screen. Look at him: dressed in a Taoist robe, a silk belt around his waist, wearing a gauze cap, and straw sandals on his feet, truly exuding an immortal aura. This young boy was none other than Dongfang Shuo. Wukong saw him and laughed, “So the little thief is here! There are no peaches here for you to steal!” Dongfang Shuo bowed and replied, “Old thief, what are you doing here? There are no elixirs here for you to steal.” The Emperor laughed, “Mànqiàn, stop joking and quickly bring some tea.” Mànqiàn was Dongfang Shuo’s Taoist name, and he hurriedly brought two cups of tea. After drinking the tea, Wukong said, “I came this time with a matter to discuss; I wonder if you can help?” The Emperor said, “What is it? Feel free to speak.”
Wukong said, “Recently, while escorting Tang Monk westward, we passed by Wanshou Mountain’s Wuzhuang Temple. Because the attendants there were rude, I got angry and knocked over their ginseng fruit tree, causing a delay, and Tang Monk cannot proceed. I came specifically to seek a remedy and hope you can assist.” The Emperor said, “You monkey, you really don’t know the severity of things and cause trouble everywhere. The Wuzhuang Temple’s Zhenyuanzi is the ancestor of earthly immortals, and you dared to offend him? His ginseng fruit tree is a celestial treasure; stealing and eating it is already a crime, and you even knocked the tree down. How could he let it go?” Wukong said, “Exactly, we escaped, but he caught up and captured us like a handkerchief with a flick of his sleeve, which is why I came seeking a remedy.”
The Emperor said, “I have a Nine-Turn Taiyi Elixir that can heal living beings but cannot cure a tree. Trees are the essence of water and earth, nourished by heaven and earth. If it were an ordinary tree, it might be treated; but Wanshou Mountain is an innate blessed land, Wuzhuang Temple is a cave heaven in Hezhou, and the ginseng fruit is a celestial root of heaven and earth. How can it be treated? There is no way! No way!”
Hearing there was no way to heal the tree, Sun Wukong prepared to take his leave. The Emperor wanted to keep him for a cup of immortal wine, but Wukong said, “Saving people is like fighting a fire; I cannot delay.” So he rode his cloud straight to the Yingzhou Sea Island. This place was indeed wonderful, as a poem attests: "Pearl trees shine in purple smoke, Yingzhou’s palaces connect to the heavens. Green mountains and waters, exquisite flowers, sweet jade liquid, iron and stone firm. Five-colored jade chickens crow at the sea sun, thousand-year red phoenixes inhale crimson smoke. The world cannot fathom the scene within the gourd, transcending the mundane, enjoying long years." Wukong arrived at Yingzhou and saw several white-haired old immortals playing chess and drinking wine, talking and laughing. Here, clouds swirled, auspicious air lingered, and cranes flew freely, truly a carefree and leisurely place.
Wukong shouted loudly, "Let me join in the fun!" The immortals saw him and hurried to greet him. As a poem says: "The ginseng fruit tree's spirit root is broken, the Great Sage seeks immortals for a miraculous cure. Scarlet clouds swirl out of the treasure forest, the Nine Elders of Yingzhou come to meet him." Wukong recognized the Nine Elders and laughed, "Old brothers, you all seem to be living quite leisurely!" The Nine Elders laughed and said, "Great Sage, if you hadn't stirred up the Heavenly Palace back then, you'd be living even more leisurely than us. We've heard that you are now returning to truth and heading west to worship Buddha, so how do you have time to come here?" Wukong explained the situation about seeking a cure for the tree. The Nine Elders were shocked, "You monkey, you really are a troublemaker! We are powerless to help." Wukong said, "Since there's no solution, I'll take my leave."
The Nine Elders wanted to keep him for a cup of nectar and some jade lotus, but Wukong insisted on not staying. He only drank a cup of nectar and ate a piece of lotus before hurriedly leaving Yingzhou, heading straight for the Eastern Ocean. Soon, he saw Mount Luojia in the distance, so he descended from his cloud and went straight to Putuo Rock, where he found the Bodhisattva Guanyin preaching to the gods, Moksha, and the Dragon Girl in the bamboo grove. As a poem attests: "The sea lord's city stands high with auspicious air thick, wonders abound beyond imagination. Know that beyond a thousand appearances, all emerge from the subtle and profound. Four saints attain true fruit in due time, six mortals escape the cage after listening. Shaolin has its true flavor, flowers and fruits fragrant, trees full of red."
The Bodhisattva had already seen Wukong approaching and sent the mountain guardian deity to welcome him. The deity emerged from the forest and called out, "Sun Wukong, where are you going?" Wukong looked up and shouted, "You black bear! Are you calling me Wukong? If I hadn't spared you back then, you'd be a ghost on Black Wind Mountain by now. Today you follow the Bodhisattva, have attained good fruit, live on the immortal mountain, and often hear the teachings. Shouldn't you call me 'master'?" The black bear, having achieved good fruit and become the guardian deity of Putuo, owed much to Wukong. He could only smile and say, "Great Sage, as the ancients said, a gentleman does not recall past grievances, so let's not mention those things. The Bodhisattva sent me to welcome you." Wukong respectfully followed the deity into the bamboo grove to pay respects to the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva asked, "Wukong, where has Tang Monk reached?" Wukong replied, "We have reached Wanshou Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou." The Bodhisattva asked, "There is a Wuzhuang Temple on Wanshou Mountain. Have you met Zhenyuan Daxian?" Wukong quickly answered, "At Wuzhuang Temple, I did not recognize Zhenyuan Daxian and damaged his ginseng fruit tree, offending him. He has trapped my master and won't let us proceed." The Bodhisattva, already aware of the situation, scolded, "You mischievous monkey, truly ungrateful! That ginseng fruit tree is a celestial root of heaven and earth. Zhenyuanzi is the ancestor of earthly immortals; even I give him some respect. How could you damage his tree?" Wukong bowed again and said, "I truly didn't know. That day, he wasn't home, and only two attendants hosted us. Zhu Wuneng knew they had fruit and wanted to taste one, so I stole three, and we brothers shared them. The attendants discovered it and kept cursing us, so in anger, I knocked the tree down. The next day he returned, captured us all with a flick of his sleeve, and tied us up for a day. We escaped at night but were caught again, unable to escape after several attempts, so I promised to heal the tree. I've been seeking a remedy across the seas, visiting the three islands, but none of the immortals could help. Therefore, I came to seek your compassion, hoping you might provide a solution so Tang Monk can continue westward soon." The Bodhisattva said, "Why didn't you come to me earlier instead of searching the islands?" Hearing this, Wukong was secretly delighted, thinking, "Wonderful! The Bodhisattva surely has a solution!"
Wukong stepped forward to plead again, and the Bodhisattva said, "The sweet dew in my vase can heal immortal trees and spiritual plants." Wukong asked, "Has it been tested before?" The Bodhisattva replied, "Of course." Wukong asked, "What experience is there?" The Bodhisattva said, "In the past, the Supreme Lord once made a bet with me: he pulled out my willow branch, put it in the alchemy furnace, and burned it to a crisp before returning it to me. I placed it in my vase, and after a day and a night, it returned to its green state, just as it was before." Wukong laughed, "That's great! If it can revive even a burnt branch, restoring a toppled tree should be no problem!" The Bodhisattva instructed everyone, "Take care of the forest; I'll be right back."
With that, the Bodhisattva held her vase, the white parrot flew gracefully ahead, and the Great Sage followed behind.
In Wuzhuang Temple, Zhenyuan Daxian was happily chatting with the Three Stars when suddenly, Sun Wukong arrived on a cloud, shouting, "The Bodhisattva is here, come out to welcome her!" This startled the Three Stars, Zhenyuanzi, and Tang Monk and his disciples, prompting them to quickly come out of the treasure hall to greet her. As the Bodhisattva descended from her cloud, she exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhenyuanzi and greeted the Three Stars. After the formalities, the Bodhisattva took her seat, and Wukong brought Tang Monk, Pigsy, and Sandy forward to pay their respects. The other immortals in the temple also came to greet the Bodhisattva. Wukong said, "Daxian, don't hesitate. Prepare an altar quickly so the Bodhisattva can help you heal the fruit tree." Zhenyuanzi humbly thanked her, saying, "It's a small matter; how dare I trouble the Bodhisattva to come in person?" The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Tang Monk is my disciple, and since Sun Wukong has offended you, it is only right to compensate for the loss of your precious tree." The Three Stars added, "In that case, let's dispense with formalities. Please, Bodhisattva, step into the garden to take a look."
Zhenyuanzi immediately instructed his attendants to prepare the altar and clean the back garden, inviting the Bodhisattva to lead the way, followed by the Three Stars.
Tang Monk and his disciples, along with the immortals from the temple, followed to see the tree lying on the ground. The soil was exposed, roots laid bare, leaves wilted, and branches withered. The Bodhisattva called out, "Wukong, come over here." Wukong extended his left hand, and the Bodhisattva used a willow branch to dip into the sweet dew from her vase, drawing a symbol of resurrection on Wukong's palm, instructing him to place his hand under the tree's roots and wait for the water to flow. Wukong made a fist and pressed his hand beneath the roots, and soon a clear spring gushed forth. The Bodhisattva said, "This water cannot be collected with vessels of the five elements; it must be scooped with jade ladles. Lift the tree and pour from the top, and naturally, the roots and bark will join, and leaves will sprout." Wukong then shouted, "Little Taoists, quickly bring jade ladles." Zhenyuanzi said, "In this remote mountain, I have no jade ladles, only jade teacups and jade wine cups. Will they do?" The Bodhisattva replied, "As long as they are jade and can scoop water, they will work. Quickly, bring them."
Zhenyuanzi immediately had his attendants fetch twenty to thirty teacups and forty to fifty wine cups to scoop the clear spring. Wukong, Pigsy, and Sandy worked together to lift the tree, fill in the soil, and then use the jade vessels to scoop the spring water, handing it to the Bodhisattva one cup at a time. The Bodhisattva delicately sprinkled the water with the willow branch while chanting scriptures. Before long, the water was all used, and the tree indeed returned to its original state, with green branches and lush leaves, bearing twenty-three ginseng fruits. The attendants, Qingfeng and Mingyue, exclaimed, "A few days ago, when the fruits were missing, there were only twenty-two. How come there's one more now?" Wukong laughed, "Time reveals a person's heart. A few days ago, I only stole three, and one fell to the ground. The earth deity said this treasure sinks into the earth when it touches it. Pigsy complained that I was clumsy, which led to the rumors, and it took until now to clarify." The Bodhisattva explained, "I didn't use vessels of the five elements because I knew this object conflicts with them."
Zhenyuan Daxian was overjoyed and immediately fetched a golden pestle to knock down ten fruits, inviting the Bodhisattva and the Three Stars back to the treasure hall, both to express gratitude and to hold a ginseng fruit feast. The little immortals busily set up tables and chairs, laid out trays, and invited the Bodhisattva to sit at the head, the Three Stars on the left, Tang Monk on the right, with Zhenyuanzi accompanying them, each eating one fruit. As a poem says: "In the ancient cave of Wanshou Mountain, the ginseng ripens once in nine thousand years. The spiritual root sprouts, branches damaged, sweet dew nourishes, fruit and leaves restored. Three elders happily reunite, four monks fortunate to meet by fate. From now on, those who consume ginseng fruit become immortals, living long and never aging." The Bodhisattva and the Three Stars each ate one, and Tang Monk, realizing it was an immortal treasure, also ate one. Wukong and the others each ate one, and Zhenyuanzi accompanied them, while the immortals in the temple shared one.
Wukong then thanked the Bodhisattva and escorted her back to Putuo Rock, and the Three Stars back to Penglai Island. Zhenyuanzi prepared vegetarian wine and formed a brotherhood with Wukong. Truly, "No fight, no acquaintance," and the two sides became one family. The four masters and disciples were joyful and rested as night fell. This elder truly is: "Fated to consume the herbal elixir, enduring long life and monster hardships." As for how they bid farewell the next day, we shall discuss in the next installment.
