Once upon a time, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie were gearing up to cast spells and capture those women when suddenly they heard Sha Seng shouting. They turned around and realized Tang Seng was missing! Sun Wukong was baffled, “Who snatched our master away?” Sha Seng hurriedly explained, “It was a woman! She used a whirlwind to whisk him away!”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong’s heart sank. He immediately whistled and jumped onto a cloud, scanning the surroundings. All he saw was a cloud of dust blowing towards the northwest. He shouted, “Brothers, quick! Let’s chase after our master!” Bajie and Sha Seng quickly secured their belongings on their horses and leaped into the air alongside him. Meanwhile, the king and ministers of the Western Liang Kingdom, along with the young women, were kneeling on the ground, thinking, “This is the ascendant Arhat! Don’t panic. Tang Seng is also a wise monk; we must have misunderstood. What a waste of this divine encounter! Please, let’s return to the palace!” Hearing this, the queen felt a bit ashamed, and everyone decided to head home.
Over here, Sun Wukong and his brothers soared through the clouds, chasing after that whirlwind. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the dust settled, and the wind died down. They had no idea where the monster had run off to. The three brothers landed and began searching for clues. Suddenly, they spotted a shiny blue stone screen. As they rounded the screen, they discovered two stone doors with six big characters inscribed: “Poisonous Enemy Mountain Pipa Cave.” Bajie was confused and rushed forward, wanting to smash the door with his钉钯, but Sun Wukong quickly stopped him, “Hold on, brother! We just got here; this might not be the right door. Let’s not anger anyone.” Sha Seng chimed in, grinning, “Good idea! Quick thinking!”
Sun Wukong then displayed his magical powers, made a gesture, chanted a spell, and transformed into a bee—light and agile! Just look at him: with thin wings fluttering in the wind and a slim waist, he looked adorable. He slipped through the crack of the door, passed through the second door, and saw a female monster sitting in a flower pavilion, surrounded by a few colorful-clothed girls chatting happily. Sun Wukong stealthily flew closer and overheard two girls bringing in steaming dumplings: “Grandma, this plate is filled with human meat, and this one is vegetarian.” The female monster smiled and said, “Children, help Tang Seng out here.”
The girls went to the back room and brought Tang Seng out. He looked pale and teary-eyed, and Sun Wukong sighed inwardly, “Master is poisoned!”
The female monster descended from the pavilion, her delicate fingers grasping Tang Seng, “Don’t worry, my dear. Although this isn’t the palace of the Western Liang Kingdom, it’s quite relaxing here for chanting and studying scriptures. I can be your companion on the path; it’ll be a harmonious hundred years.” Tang Seng remained silent, and the monster continued, “Don’t fret. I know you haven’t eaten anything in the female kingdom; here, we have meat and vegetarian dishes for you to enjoy.”
Tang Seng thought to himself, “I won’t speak or eat. This female monster isn’t the queen; she’s a demon goddess who might harm me. My three disciples don’t know I’m trapped here. If something goes wrong, I’m done for!” After pondering, he had no choice but to ask, “What’s the difference between the meat and the vegetarian dishes?” The monster replied, “The meat ones are made with human flesh, and the vegetarian ones are filled with sand.” Tang Seng said, “I only eat vegetarian.” The monster laughed, “Children, bring hot tea and vegetarian buns for your elder.”
One girl brought fragrant tea and placed it in front of Tang Seng. The female monster split a vegetarian bun and handed it to him. Tang Seng then passed her a meat bun. The monster smiled and asked, “Why didn’t you split it for me?” Tang Seng joined his palms and replied, “As a monk, I shouldn’t eat meat.” The monster teased, “You, a monk, don’t dare to eat meat, but how come you were so eager to drink water by the river a few days ago? And now you’re enjoying sand buns?” Tang Seng answered, “The water was high, and the boat was in a hurry; the sand trapped the horse, causing delays.” At that moment, Sun Wukong, who was listening nearby, grew anxious, fearing that his master would be bewitched by the female monster. Unable to contain himself, he revealed himself and shouted angrily, “You wicked creature!”
The female monster, seeing him, exhaled a cloud of smoke that enveloped the flower pavilion and commanded, “Children, capture the monk!” She grabbed a three-pronged steel fork, leaped out of the pavilion, and scolded, “You lazy monkey! How dare you invade my home and spy on my appearance! Don’t run; take this!” Sun Wukong immediately blocked her with his iron staff, battling fiercely while retreating. They fought fiercely, and Bajie and Sha Seng, waiting anxiously in front of the stone screen, saw Bajie grab the white horse and said, “Sha Seng, keep an eye on our belongings; I’m going to help!” With that, he raised his钉钯 and charged forward, “Brother, stay back! Let me take care of this wicked woman!”
The female monster saw Bajie coming and immediately used a trick, spewing fire and smoke from her mouth, shaking her body as three pronged forks flew towards them. Sun Wukong and Bajie flanked her on both sides. The female monster coldly laughed, “Sun Wukong, you really don’t know when to back down! I recognize you, but you don’t recognize me. Even the Buddha from your Thunder Sound Temple fears me. Where do you think you’re going?” This battle was truly earth-shattering; the female monster was imposing, and the Monkey King was fierce, with the three of them locked in a fierce struggle, neither side willing to yield.
The fight continued for quite a while until the female monster suddenly executed a move called the “Poisonous Horse Stump,” striking Sun Wukong on the head. Sun Wukong cried out in pain, “It hurts!” and couldn’t help but flee in defeat. Seeing the situation turn dire, Bajie also retreated, dragging his钉钯. The female monster emerged victorious and retracted her fork.
Sun Wukong held his head, grimacing, “This is severe! Truly severe!” Bajie rushed over and asked, “Brother, why were you fighting so well, and suddenly you’re crying out in pain and running away?” Sun Wukong, looking pained, could only say, “It hurts! It hurts!” Sha Seng asked with concern, “Is your headache acting up?” Sun Wukong quickly denied, “No! No!” Bajie was puzzled, “Brother, I didn’t see you get injured. How come you have a headache?” Sun Wukong, feeling helpless, explained, “I was fighting her when she shook, and somehow struck me with a weapon. My head hurts terribly, so I had to flee.”
Bajie couldn’t help but laugh, “You always brag about how hard your head is. How come it couldn’t take this hit?” Sun Wukong sighed, “Ever since I became a true being, eating the Peaches of Immortality and Laozi’s Golden Elixir, I’ve faced attacks from heavenly generals and survived swords, knives, and lightning without injury. Yet today, I got struck by this female monster, and it’s utterly baffling!” Sha Seng said with concern, “Let me see; don’t break it!” Sun Wukong hurriedly replied, “It’s not broken! Not broken!” Bajie joked, “I’ll go to the Western Liang Kingdom and get you some ointment to apply.” Sun Wukong retorted helplessly, “It’s neither swollen nor broken; what’s the point of ointment?”
Sha Seng said, “Second Brother, stop joking. It’s getting late, and Brother’s head is injured. We don’t know how Master is doing. What should we do?” Sun Wukong scoffed, “Master is fine. I transformed into a bee and flew inside, where I saw the female monster sitting in the flower pavilion. Later, two maidens brought in two plates of buns: one filled with human meat, and the other with sand. The female monster even wanted Master to eat something. At first, he refused, but after hearing her sweet talk, he finally asked for a vegetarian one. The monster then split a vegetarian bun and handed it to him, while Master gave her a meat one. The monster asked why he didn’t split it, and Master replied that as a monk, he didn’t dare to eat meat. The monster then questioned how come he was so eager to drink water by the river a few days ago but today was enjoying the sand buns. Master replied that the water was high, and the boat was in a hurry; the sand trapped the horse, causing delays. I overheard this and feared Master might be confused, so I revealed myself to fight her.”
After hearing this, Sha Seng bit his finger and said, “This wicked creature is too powerful; she even knows our business!” Bajie suggested, “Should we stay quiet? No matter what time it is, let’s make some noise at the door and disturb her!” Sun Wukong replied, “My head hurts; I can’t go!” Sha Seng insisted, “No need to make noise. Brother has a headache, and Master is a true monk; he won’t be deceived. Let’s rest at the foot of the hill tonight and wait until dawn to discuss further.” So, the three brothers tied up their white horse and kept watch over their belongings, resting at the foot of the hill without discussing anything else.
Meanwhile, the female monster, feeling unwilling, set aside her ferocity and resumed a cheerful demeanor, calling out, “Children, close the front and back doors tightly!” She sent two young maidens to guard the doors, ensuring any sound would be reported. Then she instructed, “Girls, tidy up the bedroom, light the candles, burn incense, and invite Tang Seng here; I want to enjoy his company.” After saying this, she helped Tang Seng out from behind. The female monster posed seductively and said to Tang Seng, “As the saying goes, gold is not precious, but peace and happiness are worth much more. Let’s be a couple and enjoy ourselves!”
Tang Seng felt a tightness in his heart and gritted his teeth, not uttering a word. He initially wanted to resist, but fearing she might harbor evil intentions, he reluctantly followed her into the fragrant room. Poor Tang Seng, with his mind full of Buddhist teachings, didn’t even glance at the bed or decorations in the room; he didn’t hear any of the flirtatious words from the female monster. Truly a good monk, he didn’t look at evil sights or listen to lewd sounds, focusing only on his cultivation.
The female demon was very lively, like a spring flower, while Tang Monk was like dead ashes, completely uninterested. One wanted to get close, while the other only thought about cultivating and maintaining his nature. The female demon undressed to show off her skin, but Tang Monk kept his clothes tightly fastened, silently reciting Buddhist scriptures in his heart. The female demon asked, "Why not sleep with me in this empty quilt?" Tang Monk replied, "My head is shaven, how can I accompany you?" The female demon said, "I am as beautiful as Xi Shi, how can you treat me like this?" Tang Monk retorted, "I am not Yue Zheli." They bickered until midnight, but Tang Monk remained unmoved. Seeing this, the female demon angrily shouted, "Bring the ropes!" Poor Tang Monk was tied up like a lion, dragged under the eaves, and finally, the silver lamp was extinguished, and they each went back to rest.
The night passed without a word, and at the crow of the rooster, Sun Wukong at the foot of the mountain finally felt his headache was gone, though he felt a bit itchy. Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "If it itches, let her prick you again, why not enjoy it?" Sun Wukong spat, "Stop, stop, stop!" Zhu Bajie continued to joke, "Our master had quite a wild night!" Sha Monk said, "Stop bickering, it's dawn, let's go catch the demon!" Sun Wukong said, "You stay here and watch the horses, don't move. Zhu Bajie, come with me."
Zhu Bajie, full of energy, got dressed and followed Sun Wukong. The two jumped up the cliff and arrived under the stone screen. Sun Wukong told him to stop: "Be careful, the monster might have hurt our master last night. Let me go in and find out. If the master was seduced by her, it would be a loss of virtue; if he wasn't, then we'll kill her and save the master." Zhu Bajie said, "You're so silly! How can dried fish be a pillow for a cat?" Sun Wukong ignored him, transformed into a bee, and flew inside.
He saw two maids sleeping and flew to the flower pavilion to see the demon, exhausted from the night, sleeping soundly. Sun Wukong quietly flew over and heard Tang Monk calling, "Wukong, you're here? Save my life!" Sun Wukong asked, "What happened last night?" Tang Monk gritted his teeth and said, "I'd rather die than do that!" Sun Wukong said, "She has feelings for you, why are you like this?" Tang Monk replied, "She pestered me all night, I didn't take off my clothes, nor did I touch the bed. She tied me up here, hurry and save me!"
At this moment, the demon was awakened by their conversation, turned over, and shouted harshly, "How can you go on a pilgrimage without being a good couple?" Sun Wukong panicked, quickly flew out, returned to his true form, and called, "Bajie!" Zhu Bajie turned around the stone screen and asked, "Did it work out?" Sun Wukong laughed, "No, it didn't! The master is tied up and complaining to me." Zhu Bajie happily said, "Good! Good! Good! He's still a true monk! Let's go save him!"
Zhu Bajie rudely lifted his rake and rushed to the stone door, striking hard, sending pieces of stone flying. The maids, who were sleeping soundly, were scared and ran outside the second door, shouting, "Open the door! The front door is broken by those two ugly men!" The female demon just came out of the room and heard the maids report, "Mistress, the front door is broken by those two ugly men!" Upon hearing this, the female demon immediately ordered, "Hurry, prepare hot water to wash my face and dress up!" She was getting ready to deal with Tang Monk.
The demon came out, holding a trident, cursing, "You filthy monkey! Wild pig! How dare you break my door!" Zhu Bajie cursed back, "You shameless slut, how dare you trap my master, release him now! Say one more word, and I'll show you!" The female demon disdainfully spat out smoke and fire, and thrust her trident at Zhu Bajie. Zhu Bajie dodged sideways, raised his rake to counterattack, and Sun Wukong also came to help. The demon used her magic, her hands too many to count, blocking left and right, and they fought fiercely. In the end, Zhu Bajie was pricked, painfully dragging his rake to escape.
Sun Wukong felt a bit scared, feigned a blow, and fled the battlefield. The demon triumphantly returned, ordering her minions to pile stones tightly at the front door, so no one could enter.
Meanwhile, Sha Monk was watching the horses at the slope when he suddenly heard Zhu Bajie groaning. Looking up, he saw Zhu Bajie covering his mouth, in great pain. Sha Monk asked, "What's wrong?" Zhu Bajie looked aggrieved, "It's terrible! It hurts so much!" At this time, Sun Wukong also came over, laughing, "You silly fool! Yesterday you cursed me for having a boil on my forehead, today you've got a swollen mouth!" Zhu Bajie groaned, "It's unbearable, unbearable! It really hurts!"
Just as they were talking, an old woman approached from a distance, carrying a green bamboo basket in her left hand, coming from the South Mountain Road with vegetables. Sha Seng said, “Big brother, that old woman is coming. I’ll go ask her what this monster is all about.” But Sun Wukong hurriedly stopped him, saying, “Wait! Let me ask her.” Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the old woman had auspicious clouds above her head and fragrant mist around her. He was startled and immediately called out, “Brothers, quickly kneel! That’s a Bodhisattva!”
Bajie, enduring the pain, quickly bowed down, and Sha Seng led the horse and bowed as well. Sun Wukong clasped his hands and knelt down, shouting in unison, “Namo Great Compassionate and Merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva!” The Bodhisattva, seeing that they recognized her, stepped onto the clouds and flew into the air, revealing her true form, which was that of a fish basket. Sun Wukong quickly bowed and said, “Bodhisattva, forgive me for not welcoming you! We are working hard to save our master and did not know you had descended. In the face of this calamity, we hope for your assistance!”
The Bodhisattva replied, “This monster is quite formidable. Her three-pronged fork has two pincers, and the painful part is the hook on her tail, known as the ‘Poisonous Horse Hook.’ She is actually a scorpion spirit. Previously, while listening to the Buddha preach at the Thunder Sound Temple, the Buddha pushed her away, and she used her hook to stab the Buddha’s finger, causing him great pain, which is why she is here. If you want to save Tang Seng, you need to summon a skilled master; I cannot approach her myself.” Sun Wukong quickly bowed and asked, “Please, Bodhisattva, guide me on who can help. I will go summon them right away!” The Bodhisattva instructed him, “Go to the Bright Palace at the Eastern Gate and seek the Star Officer of the Sun. He can subdue the monster.” After speaking, the Bodhisattva transformed into a beam of golden light and returned directly to the South Sea.
Sun Wukong felt relieved and told Bajie and Sha Seng, “Our master has a savior!” Sha Seng asked, “Who is the savior?” Sun Wukong replied, “The Bodhisattva just instructed me to summon the Star Officer of the Sun.” Bajie, enduring the pain, asked, “Brother, can you ask the Star Officer for some pain relief medicine?” Sun Wukong laughed, “No need for medicine; I’ve endured the pain all night, and it’s fine now.” Sha Seng urged, “Stop wasting time; hurry up!”
Sun Wukong quickly rode on his cloud and instantly arrived outside the Eastern Gate. Seeing the King of Growth, he hurriedly bowed and said, “Where is the Great Sage going?” Sun Wukong replied, “I’m going to the Bright Palace to see the Star Officer of the Sun, hoping to ask him to save our master.” At this moment, the four marshals—Tao, Zhang, Xin, and Deng—also came over to ask where Sun Wukong was going. He answered, “I’m looking for the Star Officer of the Sun to subdue the monster and save my master.” The four marshals said, “The Star Officer received an order from the Jade Emperor this morning to inspect the Star Observation Platform.” Sun Wukong felt anxious upon hearing this, “Really?” The Star Lord Xin said, “We wouldn’t dare lie; we just came down from the Bullfighting Palace with him.” Lord Tao added, “He has been gone for a long time, but he may return soon. Great Sage, you should first go to the Bright Palace. If he hasn’t returned, then go to the Star Observation Platform.” Sun Wukong was delighted by this and bid them farewell as he headed to the Bright Palace.
Upon arriving at the Bright Palace, he found it empty. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly saw a row of soldiers by the wall, and behind them came the Star Officer. He was dressed in magnificent court robes, shining with golden light and exuding an impressive aura. The soldiers in front saw Sun Wukong standing outside the Bright Palace and quickly turned to report, “My lord, the Great Sage is here!” The Star Officer tidied up the clouds and mist, stepped forward, and asked, “What brings the Great Sage here?”
Sun Wukong quickly said, “I’ve come specifically to request your help to save my master from a calamity.” The Star Officer asked, “What calamity? Where is it?” Sun Wukong replied, “At the Poisonous Enemy Mountain in the Pipa Cave of the Western Liang Kingdom.” The Star Officer asked, “What kind of monster is in that cave that would require me to be summoned?” Sun Wukong said, “Bodhisattva Guanyin just manifested and said it is a scorpion spirit, specially recommending you to deal with her, which is why I came to ask.” The Star Officer said, “I was originally going to report back to the Jade Emperor, but since the Bodhisattva has recommended me, I wouldn’t dare delay. I will accompany you to subdue the monster and report back later.” Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was instantly delighted and followed him out of the Eastern Gate, heading straight for the Western Liang Kingdom.
