In the late autumn and early winter, Tang Seng and his disciples were making their way westward, harmonizing water and fire. With the help of a pure Yin magic fan, they easily extinguished the flames and traveled smoothly for eight hundred miles. Along the way, everyone was in high spirits, enjoying the beautiful scenery: wild chrysanthemums were still showing their last charm, while new plum blossoms quietly bloomed. In the villages, farmers were busy harvesting, and the aroma of delicious meals wafted from every household. The leaves in the woods gradually fell, revealing the clear outlines of the distant mountains, and the winding brook lay still and clear under the frost.
Just as they were walking leisurely, a city suddenly appeared ahead. Tang Seng pulled the reins and pointed at the towering buildings, asking, "Wukong, what place is that?" The Monkey King looked up and immediately replied, "That’s a city! What a magnificent sight! It’s a royal stronghold!" Pigsy, standing nearby, chuckled, "How can you tell it’s a royal place? There are government offices and county towns in the city!" The Monkey King shook his head, "You don’t understand. A king’s residence isn’t just any place. Look, there are over a dozen grand gates around, and the towers are high, shrouded in mist. How could it not be an imperial capital?"
Sandy chimed in, "Brother, you can tell it’s a royal place, but what’s the name of this city?" The Monkey King sighed, "There’s no plaque indicating that; we have to go in and ask." So, Tang Seng led them into the city, and the sights before them dazzled their eyes: bustling streets filled with merchants, and elegantly dressed people bustling about. Just as they were enjoying the scene, they suddenly spotted a group of monks, each wearing shackles and begging along the street, their clothes tattered.
Tang Seng felt a pang of sympathy, sighing, "When rabbits die, foxes grieve; the suffering of one is the suffering of all." He then asked Wukong, "Why are you enduring such hardship?" The Monkey King complied and asked the monks, "Which temple are you from? Why are you being humiliated like this?" The monks knelt and replied, "We are monks from the Golden Light Temple, wronged and suffering." The Monkey King asked, "Where is the Golden Light Temple?" The monks pointed ahead, "Just around that corner." So, the Monkey King led them to Tang Seng, wanting to understand the truth.
They arrived at the mountain gate, where the sign read "Imperially Built Golden Light Temple." Upon entering, they found the ancient hall cold and deserted, the wind blowing through the empty corridors, and the pine trees appearing even greener in the cold breeze. The ground was covered with fallen flowers, spider webs hung from the eaves, and the empty drum and bell were silent. Dust accumulated on the walls, giving an air of desolation. Tang Seng felt a deep sorrow and couldn’t help but shed tears. The monks pushed open the main hall and invited the elder to enter and pay respects to the Buddha. Tang Seng stepped inside, offered incense, and bowed respectfully.
At that moment, he noticed six or seven little monks locked up in the back, which made his heart ache even more. When they reached the abbot, the monks all bowed and asked, "Are you the holy monk from the East, from the Tang Dynasty?" The Monkey King smiled and said, "How do you know we are?" The monks replied, "We don’t have any special abilities; we just suffer beyond words, crying out to heaven and earth every day."
It turned out that the previous night, all the monks had dreamed that a holy monk from the East would come to save them, and today they indeed saw Tang Seng, filling their hearts with hope. Hearing this, Tang Seng was overjoyed and asked, "What place is this? What grievances do you have?" The monks knelt and said, "This place is called the Kingdom of Jisai, a great nation in the West. In the past, the foreign tribes paid tribute, and the king did not wage war, living in peace and prosperity." Tang Seng asked, "Is the king not virtuous?" The monks replied, "The monarch is not wise in both civil and military matters. The treasure pagoda of the Golden Light Temple once basked in auspicious clouds, but three years ago, after a rain of blood, the king began to suspect us."
The monks continued to lament, "The king and his ministers thought we stole the treasures from the pagoda, which caused foreign nations to stop paying tribute. So they captured us, tortured us in every way, and the previous two generations of monks died. Now it’s our turn." Tang Seng listened, unable to bear their suffering, and silently vowed to help these monks, rescuing them from their dire situation.
Tang Sanzang listened to the monks' complaints and sighed, "This is truly a complicated matter. On one hand, the court has mismanaged, and on the other hand, you have suffered. Since the blood rain from the sky dirtied the pagoda, why didn't you report it to the king earlier?" The monks replied, "Master, how could we mere mortals understand the will of heaven? Besides, even the elders couldn't figure it out, so what could we do?"
Tang Sanzang thought for a moment and asked Wukong, "What time is it now?" Wukong replied, "It's about the hour of Shen (around 3-5 PM)." Tang Sanzang continued, "I want to see the king and speak on behalf of these monks, but this matter is too complex, and I need to understand it clearly first. I made a vow at Famen Temple to offer incense and worship Buddha in the western temples. Today, I encountered these suffering monks because of the pagoda issue. Go get a new broom, and after I take a bath, I'll go sweep it and see what's really going on. Only then can I explain it to the king and help them out of their plight."
Upon hearing this, the locked-up monks immediately ran to the kitchen to get a knife and handed it to Bajie, saying, "Master, use this knife to open the locks, so the young monks can prepare food and serve you." Bajie laughed, "What's so hard about opening locks? No need for knives or axes; leave it to my hairy-faced master, he's the best at opening locks!" Seeing this, Wukong wiped his hand over the locks, and they fell off. The young monks quickly ran to the kitchen, busying themselves with washing pots and dishes, and preparing tea and food.
After Tang Sanzang and his disciples finished their vegetarian meal, the sky was getting dark. At this moment, several monks came in with two new brooms, and Tang Sanzang was very pleased. Just as they were talking, a young monk lit a lamp and invited Tang Sanzang to bathe. Outside, the stars were shining brightly, the moonlight was like water, and everything seemed exceptionally peaceful. After bathing, Tang Sanzang put on simple clothes, tied his sash, changed into soft shoes, and took a new broom in his hand. He said to the monks, "You all go rest first, I'll go sweep the pagoda."
Wukong, standing by, said, "The pagoda was dirtied by the blood rain, and over time there might be evil things. It's cold and quiet at night, and it's not safe to go alone. I'll go with you!" Tang Sanzang nodded, "Good, that's great!" So, the two of them each took a broom, first lighting the glazed lamp in the main hall, burning incense and worshiping Buddha. Tang Sanzang prayed, "Disciple Chen Xuanzang, under the mandate of the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, has come to the Golden Light Temple of Jisai Kingdom. I encountered monks saying the pagoda was defiled, and the king suspects the monks of stealing treasures, making it difficult to distinguish the injustice. I humbly request to sweep the pagoda, hoping the Buddha will show a sign and reveal the cause of the defilement soon, so that the innocent will not be wronged."
After praying, they opened the pagoda door and started sweeping from the lower level. This pagoda soared into the clouds, truly a five-colored glazed pagoda, gleaming with golden light. Its exterior resembled a flying phoenix, while the top looked like a dragon shrouded in mist. From afar, it seemed to reach the sky. Inside the pagoda, the glazed lamps were dusty and unlit, the white jade railings were covered in grime, the incense on the Buddha's seat had long been extinguished, spider webs filled the windows, and the stove was littered with mouse droppings.
Tang Sanzang thought to himself that he must clean the pagoda to restore its former glory. He swept layer by layer, and by the time he reached the seventh floor, it was already the second watch (around 9-11 PM). Tang Sanzang gradually felt tired, and Wukong said, "You sit down first, I'll help you sweep." Tang Sanzang asked, "How many floors does this pagoda have?" Wukong replied, "It should have thirteen floors." Tang Sanzang insisted, "We must finish sweeping to fulfill my vow."
Thus, Tang Sanzang continued to sweep three more floors until he was exhausted and sat down on the tenth floor, instructing Wukong, "You clean those three floors." Wukong gathered his energy, climbed to the eleventh floor, and quickly reached the twelfth floor. While sweeping, he suddenly heard someone talking at the top of the pagoda. Surprised, Wukong said, "Strange! How can there be people talking at this time? It must be something evil, I have to check it out!"
The clever Monkey King, Wukong, lightly held his broom, adjusted his clothes, and slipped out the front door. As he stepped onto the clouds and looked around, he was surprised to see two demons sitting inside the thirteenth level of the pagoda. In front of them was a plate of food, a bowl, and a pot of wine, and they were playing a drinking game. Wukong chuckled to himself, tossed away the broom, pulled out his golden staff, blocked the pagoda door, and shouted, "So it was you monsters who stole the treasures from the pagoda!"
The two demons were startled and hurriedly stood up, fumbling to grab the pot and bowl as they tried to escape, but Wukong's staff blocked their way. Pressed against the wall, they couldn't move and could only plead, "Spare us! Spare us! We have nothing to do with this! The real thief is elsewhere!" Hearing this, Wukong had a thought, grabbed them, and brought them directly to Tang Sanzang, reporting, "Master, I've caught the thieves who stole the treasures!"
Tang Sanzang, who had been dozing off, was immediately awakened by this and asked, "Who are they?" Wukong dragged the demons forward and explained, "These two were at the top of the pagoda, playing a drinking game. I heard the noise and flew over. I didn't hit them hard, fearing I'd kill them and have no witnesses. Master, you can question them to find out what kind of demons they are and where the treasures are."
The demons, trembling with fear, said, "We were sent by the All-Saints Dragon King of the Chaos Stone Mountain Bibo Pool to patrol the pagoda. His name is Benbo'erba, and I'm Babo'erben. We are a catfish demon and a blackfish spirit. The All-Saints Old Dragon has a daughter named All-Saints Princess, who is as beautiful as a flower and very talented. She married a nine-headed prince with great magical powers. Two years ago, the Dragon King came here to show his magic, resulting in a blood rain that dirtied the pagoda and stole the relics inside. The princess also stole the nine-leaf lingzhi grass from the Queen Mother of the West's Lingxiao Palace and hid it at the bottom of the pool, where it shines brightly. Recently, we heard that Sun Wukong is going to fetch scriptures from the West, so we were specifically sent here to patrol and prepare to welcome you."
Upon hearing this, Wukong couldn't help but sneer, "No wonder you invited the Bull Demon King to a banquet a few days ago. It turns out you're associating with these vile demons, doing nothing but evil!"
At this moment, Bajie and several young monks arrived with lanterns, asking, "Master, what are you discussing here?" Wukong replied, "Just in time, you came at the right moment. The treasures from the pagoda were stolen by the All-Saints Old Dragon, and these two little demons were patrolling here, but I caught them." Upon hearing this, Bajie immediately raised his rake and said, "Since they're demons and we've got their confession, why not just kill them?"
Wukong quickly said, "Don't be hasty. Keep them alive so we can present them to the king and explain the truth." So Bajie put away his rake, and they all went down the pagoda with the captured demons. The demons kept begging for mercy, and Bajie laughed, "You catfish and blackfish will make a fine soup for those wronged monks!" The young monks were delighted, holding their lanterns and leading Tang Sanzang down the pagoda. One young monk ran to spread the news, "Finally, justice is served! The demons who stole the treasures have been caught!"
Wukong said, "Quickly, get some iron chains and lock them up. Watch them carefully, and let's rest. We'll handle this tomorrow." The monks all kept a close watch, ensuring Tang Sanzang could sleep peacefully.
At dawn, Tang Sanzang said to Wukong, "I'll go with you to see the king and exchange the official documents." So Tang Sanzang donned his brocade robe, put on his Pilu hat, tidied up his appearance, and stepped forward. Wukong also straightened himself up, wearing his tiger-skin skirt, and took the official documents to follow along. Bajie asked, "Why aren't we taking these two demon thieves?" Wukong replied, "Once we report to the king, someone will naturally come to fetch them."
They arrived outside the court gates, witnessing the imposing presence of the Vermilion Bird and Yellow Dragon. Tang Sanzang approached the East Hua Gate and respectfully addressed the gate officials, "Please inform the king that this humble monk from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land wishes to see him and exchange official documents." The palace official immediately went to report, and upon hearing this, the king ordered them to be admitted to court. The civil and military officials, upon seeing Wukong, were all terrified. Some said he was a monkey monk, others said he was a thunder-god-mouthed monk, and none dared look at him for long.
The elder was energetically gesturing and calling out in front of the steps, like an enthusiastic greeter, while Wukong stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the side, completely still, as if to say, "I have no interest in participating in this scene." The elder spoke up and said, "I am an emissary from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land in the Southern Jambu Continent, here to visit the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Tathagata's land to seek true scriptures. Passing through this place, I dared not enter without permission and have brought the official documents with me. I humbly request Your Majesty to verify my identity."
Upon hearing this, the king was overjoyed and immediately issued an order for Tang Sanzang to be brought to the golden throne room and offered a seat on a brocade stool. The elder walked up to the hall alone, holding the official documents, expressed his gratitude, and then sat down. After reading the documents, the king was extremely pleased and exclaimed, "It's truly remarkable that your Great Tang could select such a high monk, unafraid of the long journey, to come here to seek scriptures! Unfortunately, the monks here have been focused on thievery, bringing ruin to the nation!"
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and asked, "How did they bring ruin to the country and harm the ruler?" The king sighed, "My country is in the Western Regions, often receiving tributes from the four directions, all because we have a Golden Light Temple with a golden pagoda that is dazzling. But in recent years, it has been secretly plundered by thieving monks, causing significant losses, and foreign countries have stopped sending tributes, which is truly heartbreaking!"
Tang Sanzang smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, you are correct. A slight error can lead to a great loss. Last night, when I arrived at the city, I saw several monks shackled at the gate. When I asked about their crimes, they claimed to be wrongfully accused monks from the Golden Light Temple. I went to the temple to investigate and found that it had nothing to do with the monks there. I even swept the pagoda last night and caught the demon thieves who stole the treasures!"
The king's eyes lit up upon hearing this and asked, "Where are those demon thieves now?" Tang Sanzang replied, "They are locked up in the Golden Light Temple by my little disciple." The king hurriedly ordered, "Quick, send the imperial guards to the Golden Light Temple to capture the demon thieves. I want to interrogate them personally!"
Tang Sanzang added, "Your Majesty, although you have the imperial guards, my little disciple is needed to handle them." The king asked, "Where is this esteemed disciple?" Tang Sanzang pointed and said, "Standing right there beside the jade steps." The king looked and was taken aback, "With the holy monk's noble appearance, how is it that his disciple looks like that?"
Upon hearing this, Wukong sternly said, "Your Majesty, one cannot judge a person by their appearance, just as the sea cannot be measured by a cup! If you only judge by appearances, how could one catch demon thieves?" The king, enlightened by this, quickly said, "The holy monk is right. Catching the thieves and retrieving the treasures is what's most important."
Thus, the king ordered the court officials to prepare a grand sedan chair and a yellow parasol, and the imperial guards readied themselves to escort the holy monk to capture the demon thieves. It wasn't long before the grand sedan was prepared, the yellow parasol was raised high, and the imperial guards, with their captains, set off in grand procession towards the Golden Light Temple.
This commotion stirred the entire city, and the townspeople rushed out, eager to catch a glimpse of the holy monk and the demon thieves, creating quite the spectacle.
Bajie and Sha Monk, hearing the commotion outside, thought it was the officials sent by the king and hurried to greet them. To their surprise, it was Wukong sitting in the sedan chair! Bajie laughed heartily, "Brother, you've truly achieved your form!" Wukong looked puzzled, "How have I achieved my form?" Bajie pointed at the sedan chair and said, "You're under a yellow parasol, being carried in an eight-person sedan. Isn't this the Monkey King's style?" Wukong shook his head, "Stop teasing me." With that, they brought the two demons down, ready to present them to the king.
Sha Monk chimed in, "Brother, I want to go too!" Wukong replied, "You stay here and watch over the luggage and horses." The shackled monks said, "You all go enjoy the royal favor, leaving us here to guard." Wukong nodded, "Alright, I'll see the king and release you when I return." Bajie grabbed one demon, Sha Monk took the other, and Sun Wukong remained in the sedan chair, heading towards the palace.
Soon, they arrived at the white jade steps and announced to the king, "The demon thieves have been captured!" The king immediately descended from his dragon throne, accompanied by Tang Sanzang and the civil and military officials, to see the two demons. One had a fierce face with black armor, sharp teeth, and a pointed mouth; the other had slippery skin, a large belly, a huge mouth, and long whiskers, resembling transformed creatures. The king asked, "What kind of thieving monsters are you, who have been plaguing my country for years, stealing treasures? Speak truthfully!"
The two demons knelt down, covered in wounds but seemingly oblivious to the pain, and confessed honestly, "Three years ago, on the first day of July, the All-Saints Dragon King, along with many relatives, settled in the Bibo Pool in the southeast, in a place called Chaos Stone Mountain. His daughter, who is extraordinarily beautiful, married a nine-headed prince with great magical powers. They learned about the treasures in your pagoda and conspired to steal them. They first caused a blood rain and then stole the relics. Now, the treasures in the dragon palace shine brightly, and the princess has also stolen the Queen Mother's lingzhi, hiding it in the pool."
Hearing this, the king immediately asked, "What are your names?" The demon replied, "I am Benbo'erba, and he is Babo'erben. I am a catfish demon, and he is a blackfish spirit." The king ordered the imperial guards to imprison them and commanded, "Quickly pardon the monks of the Golden Light Temple and prepare a banquet to thank the holy monk for capturing the thieves!"
The Ministry of Rites promptly prepared a feast with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The king invited Tang Sanzang and his four disciples to the Qilin Hall to be seated and asked, "What is the holy monk's esteemed name?" Tang Sanzang clasped his hands and said, "This humble monk's surname is Chen, with the Dharma name Xuanzang. I was granted the surname Tang by the emperor and am humbly known as Tripitaka." The king further inquired, "What are the names of your esteemed disciples?" Tang Sanzang replied, "The first is named Sun Wukong, the second is Zhu Wuneng, and the third is Sha Wujing, all named by the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the South Sea."
After hearing this, the king invited Tripitaka to the table, with Sun Wukong seated on the left, and Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing on the right. The table was set with vegetarian dishes and tea, while the king sat at the head enjoying non-vegetarian dishes. The ministers expressed their gratitude for the king's kindness, and once seated, the king raised a glass, though Tang Sanzang did not dare drink wine, while the three disciples each accepted their drinks. With music playing, Bajie devoured an entire table's worth of fruits and vegetables, leaving nothing behind, gulping down every cup of wine offered to him.
The banquet was lively and lasted until the afternoon. Tang Sanzang thanked the king for his generous hospitality, but the king insisted they stay longer and invited them to the Jianzhang Palace for another meal. During the meal, the king raised his glass and asked, "Who will go to capture the thieves?" Tang Sanzang replied, "Let my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong, go." Wukong agreed with a bow.
The king asked, "Elder Sun, how many troops will you need, and when will you depart?" Bajie couldn't help but shout, "What troops! With the wine flowing just right, my senior brother and I will go and catch them easily!" Tang Sanzang laughed heartily, "Bajie is truly diligent!" Wukong said, "Then let Sha Monk protect our master, and Bajie and I will go."
The king asked, "Since you don't need troops, will you need weapons?" Bajie laughed and said, "We can't use your weapons; we have our own equipment." Hearing this, the king immediately prepared large wine flasks to send them off. Sun Wukong said, "We'll skip the wine for now. Bring the two small demons to us, and we'll take them to catch the thieves." The king promptly ordered the two demons to be brought out.
Sun Wukong and Bajie, taking hold of the demons, rode the wind southeast. Seeing this, the king and his officials finally understood the true identity of the master and disciples. As for how they captured the demon thieves, we'll continue that story next time.
