Once upon a time, Tang Seng and his four disciples had just left the Little Western Heaven, feeling quite cheerful as they set off on their journey. After more than a month of travel, it was springtime, with flowers blooming and greenery all around. However, after a rainstorm, the sky turned gloomy.
Tang Seng pulled on the reins and asked, “Disciples, it’s getting late. Where should we find a place to spend the night?” The Monkey King, with a relaxed smile, replied, “Don’t worry, Master! If we can’t find a place, the three of us can handle it. Pigsy can go cut some grass, Sandy can pull up pine trees, and I, Sun Wukong, can do carpentry. We can set up a little shelter right here on the road; we could even live there for a year if we wanted. Why are you in such a hurry?” Pigsy quickly interrupted, “Brother, this isn’t a place to stay! There are tigers, leopards, and wolves everywhere, and who knows what ghosts are lurking around? It’s hard enough to walk during the day; how can we dare stay here at night?”
Hearing this, Wukong shook his head and said, “You fool! You’re getting dumber by the day! With my staff in hand, even if the sky falls, I can hold it up!”
Just then, they spotted a mountain lodge not far away. Wukong exclaimed, “Great! We have a place to stay!” Tang Seng asked, “Where?” Wukong pointed and said, “There’s a little courtyard behind those trees. Let’s go ask to stay the night and head out early tomorrow.” Tang Seng happily urged his horse and dismounted at the lodge’s entrance. However, the door was tightly shut. He knocked and called, “Open up! Open up!”
An old man with a cane, dressed in simple clothes, opened the door and asked, “Who’s making all that noise?” Tang Seng put his palms together and greeted him, “Old benefactor, I’m a monk from the East, here to seek scriptures in the West. I’d like to borrow a place to stay for the night. I hope it’s convenient.” The old man shook his head and said, “Monk, you want to go west, but you can’t! This is the Little Western Heaven, and the road to the Great Western Heaven is far away. Just getting through this area is tough.”
Curious, Tang Seng asked, “What makes it difficult?” The old man pointed westward and said, “About thirty miles from here, there’s a place called Xishi Alley, and the mountain is called Qijue Mountain.” Tang Seng inquired, “What’s special about Qijue Mountain?” The old man replied, “The mountain path is eight hundred miles long, filled with persimmon trees. The ancients said there are seven wonders of the persimmon tree: first, it promotes longevity; second, it provides shade; third, it has no bird nests; fourth, it has no pests; fifth, the frost-covered leaves are lovely; sixth, it bears abundant fruit; and seventh, its branches and leaves are large. That’s why it’s called Qijue Mountain. Unfortunately, it’s sparsely populated, and deep in the mountains, no one has walked through for ages. Every year, ripe persimmons fall and fill the alley, and when it rains or snows, it becomes filthy. The locals call it Xishi Alley, and when the west wind blows, the smell is unbearable—worse than the toilets to the east. Right now, it’s spring, and the southeast wind is blowing, so you don’t smell it.”
Tang Seng felt a bit annoyed but said nothing. Wukong couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted at the old man, “You old fool! We’ve traveled a long way to find a place to stay, and you’re scaring us with all this talk! Even if your place is small, we can squat under a tree for the night—why all the fuss?” The old man, seeing Wukong’s ugly face, felt a bit scared and replied sternly, “You brat, your face looks like a lighter, with a sunken forehead, a flat nose, and hollow cheeks. Your eyes look fuzzy, like a sick ghost, daring to disturb me, an old man!”
Wukong smiled and said, “Old man, you really can’t see! The fortune-telling says that a strange-looking stone hides beautiful jade. If you judge by appearances, you’re making a mistake. I may look ugly, but my skills are anything but simple!” The old man asked, “Where are you from? What’s your name? What skills do you have?” Wukong replied with a grin, “I hail from the East, from the Great Divine Continent, and I’ve been cultivating on Flower-Fruit Mountain since childhood. I learned from the Patriarch of Ling Tai and mastered all the martial arts. I can stir the sea and subdue dragons, carry mountains and chase the sun; I’m the best at capturing monsters and catching demons, making ghosts and gods worry. I’m the ever-changing beautiful stone monkey!”
Upon hearing Wukong's words, the old man was taken aback at first, then broke into a broad smile and quickly said with respect, “Please come in, welcome to my humble abode!” So the four disciples led their horses and carried their burdens as they entered together. As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by thorny bushes on both sides, and the second door was built from brick and stone walls, covered with thorns as well. As they moved further in, they finally saw three thatched houses. The old man invited them to sit down and prepared tea, while also calling for food to be made. Before long, the table was filled with gluten, tofu, taro sprouts, radishes, chili peppers, fragrant rice, and vinegar soup with sunflowers, which made the disciples very happy.
After finishing their meal, Pigsy pulled Wukong aside and asked mysteriously, “Brother, why did that old man refuse to host us at first, but now he’s serving such a lavish meal?” Wukong replied proudly, “What’s the big deal? Tomorrow he’ll have to serve us ten fruits and ten vegetables!” Pigsy immediately expressed his dissatisfaction, “Aren’t you dreaming? With just a few empty words, you think you can get a meal? He won’t let you leave tomorrow!” Wukong chuckled, “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
Gradually, the sky began to darken, and the old man called for someone to light a lamp. Wukong respectfully asked, “What’s your surname, sir?” The old man replied, “My surname is Li.” Upon hearing this, Wukong perked up, “Li benefactor, is this Li Family Village?” The old man shook his head, “No, this is called Tuo Luo Village, home to over five hundred households. There are many other surnames here; I’m the only one with the surname Li.” Wukong continued, “Li benefactor, how come your family is treating us to such a lavish meal?” The old man stood up and said mysteriously, “I’ve heard you can catch monsters. There’s a monster here that I’d like you to catch, and I will reward you handsomely!”
Pigsy muttered from the side, “Look at him causing trouble! As soon as he hears about catching monsters, he acts like a different person, all respectful!” Wukong dismissed him, saying, “Brother, you don’t understand. My polite words are like a deposit; he won’t dare invite anyone else now.” Tang Seng frowned and said, “This monkey always acts on his own. If that monster is powerful and you can’t catch it, won’t that embarrass me as a monk?” Wukong laughed, “Master, don’t worry. I’ll ask more.”
The old man asked, “What else do you want to know?” Wukong inquired, “Your area is flat and populated; how could there be a monster daring to come here?” The old man sighed and said, “To be honest, we’ve always been peaceful here, but for the past three years, a monster suddenly appeared, specifically eating the cows, horses, pigs, and sheep we raise, not even sparing the chickens and geese. Men, women, and children have all suffered. Since then, the monster has caused trouble from time to time. Elder, if you can catch it and clear this land, we will surely reward you!”
Wukong shook his head, “That’s not easy to catch.” Pigsy chimed in, “It really is hard to catch! We’re just traveling monks staying for one night; we’ll be leaving tomorrow. How can we find time to catch a monster?” The old man immediately became displeased, “So you’re just monks here to trick us for food! You spoke so grandly at first, but now that it’s about catching a monster, you’re making excuses!” Wukong got anxious and said, “Old man, it’s easy to catch the monster; it’s just that you lack unity among the people, which makes it hard!”
The old man was puzzled, “What do you mean by lacking unity?” Wukong explained, “The monster has disturbed us for three years, harming many lives. I think if each household contributed one or two silver coins, five hundred households could gather five hundred silver coins. We could hire a judge to catch the monster; why would you willingly suffer its torment for three years?” The old man sighed, “When it comes to spending money, it’s really embarrassing! Each of our families can’t spare three or five silver coins! Two years ago, we hired a monk to catch a monster, but he didn’t succeed.”
Wukong was curious, “How did that monk try to catch it?” The old man shook his head, “That monk wore a cassock, first reciting the ‘Peacock’ scripture, then chanting the ‘Lotus Sutra.’ Smoke was rising from the incense burner while he shook a bell in his hand. Just as he was chanting, the monster was startled, and a storm brewed, directly coming to the village. The monk and the monster fought fiercely: one punch, one grab, and they were locked in combat. In the end, the monster won, and the monk was beaten like a rotten watermelon!”
Upon hearing this, Wukong couldn't help but laugh, “That’s really unfortunate!” The old man continued, “He fought desperately, and only managed to save his own life. In the end, we still had to buy him a coffin and cover the burial expenses. That monk's apprentice is still unhappy and has been complaining ever since; it’s never-ending!” Wukong asked again, “So who did you hire to catch the monster afterward?” The old man sighed, “Last year, we hired a Taoist priest.” Wukong was curious, “How did that Taoist try to catch it?” The old man lamented, “That Taoist wore a golden crown and a ceremonial robe, rang a talisman, and used talismans and water to summon spirits. They ended up fighting fiercely, but in the end, the monster escaped, and when everyone went looking for the Taoist, he drowned in the stream. When they pulled him out, he looked just like a drowned chicken!”
Wukong laughed, “That’s really unfortunate!” The old man sighed, “He lost his life, but we wasted a lot of money and grain.” Wukong waved his hand, “No worries, no worries, let me help you catch it!” The old man’s eyes lit up, “If you can catch it, I’ll ask a few village elders to write you a document. If you succeed, I’ll give you as much silver as you want; if you fail, don’t blame us for being unreasonable; we’ll leave it to fate.” Wukong laughed heartily, “This old man is really scared! I’m not that kind of person; hurry and invite the elders!”
The old man was overjoyed and quickly sent a young man to invite neighbors and relatives. Soon, about eight or nine elders gathered, all eagerly surrounding them. When the topic of catching the monster came up, the elders shook their heads in unison, “Who is this esteemed disciple?” Wukong confidently replied, “It’s me, the little monk!” Upon hearing this, the elders’ faces changed, “This won’t do! That monster is very powerful; you’re so thin and small, you probably can’t even fill its tooth gap!” Wukong was unfazed, “Old sir, look at my small frame; I’m quite sturdy, all from training and hard work. I have skills inside!”
The elders nodded reluctantly, “Alright, Elder, if you can really catch the monster, how much reward do you want?” Wukong waved his hand, “No need to mention a reward! As the saying goes, gold dazzles the eyes, silver makes one foolish, and copper coins have a foul smell! We are virtuous monks, and we absolutely don’t want money!” The elders were pleased to hear this, “Since that’s the case, as high monks who have taken vows, if you don’t want money, then there’s no need for you to tire yourself out! We all rely on fish farming for a living; if you can subdue the monster and clear the area, each family will give you two acres of good land, and we’ll gather a thousand acres to build a temple for you to meditate and practice Zen, which is better than wandering outside!”
Wukong laughed and said, “That sounds troublesome! If I take the land, I’ll have to raise horses, manage grain, and deal with hay. I won’t be able to sleep at night and will have to get up early in the morning; it’s really a torment!” The elders grew anxious, “Then what kind of reward do you want?” Wukong replied calmly, “As a monk, I only need a bit of tea and rice; that’s enough of a reward for me.” The elders nodded in agreement, “That’s easy, but how do you plan to catch the monster?” Wukong confidently stated, “When it comes, I’ll catch it!”
The elders were astonished, “But that monster is huge, towering to the sky and reaching the ground; it comes with wind and leaves with fog. How will you get close to it?” Wukong laughed heartily, “When it comes to calling the wind and summoning rain, I treat it like my grandson! If it’s about size, I also have the ability to fight it!” Just then, they suddenly heard a whistling wind, which frightened the eight or nine elders into trembling: “This monk is really something; as soon as the monster is mentioned, it comes!” Old Li quickly opened the door and called for relatives and Tang Seng, “Come in quickly! The monster is here!” Pigsy and Sandy were also scared and wanted to hide inside, but Wukong grabbed them, “Why are you being unreasonable! Monks must distinguish between inside and outside! Stop! Come with me to the courtyard and see what kind of monster it is.”
Pigsy panicked, “Brother, they’ve all hidden away! The wind means the monster is coming, and we don’t even know it—why go look?” Wukong, strong as he was, dragged them into the courtyard. The wind grew stronger, almost uprooting the trees, and the village children hid tightly away. The dark clouds pressed low, the stars were nowhere to be seen, and all the lights were out; the entire village fell into a state of panic. Pigsy, terrified, lay flat on the ground with his mouth buried in the dirt, completely still like a nail; Sandy also covered his head, unable to open his eyes.
Hearing the wind, Wukong felt a surge of pride. As the wind passed, he looked up and saw two faint lights in the air. He shouted, “Brothers! The wind has passed, get up and take a look!” Pigsy shook off the dust, looked up at the lights, and couldn’t help but laugh, “What a trick! What a trick! It turns out to be a well-mannered monster; we should befriend it!” Sandy frowned, “In this darkness, how can we know if it’s good or bad?” Pigsy patted his belly, “Ancient people said, when traveling at night, you need a candle; without one, you must stop. Look, it’s holding a lantern to lead the way; it must be a good monster!” Sandy calmly replied, “You’re wrong; that’s not a lantern, it’s the monster’s two eyes!” Upon hearing this, Pigsy shrank back, “Goodness, if its eyes are that big, how big must its mouth be!”
Seeing this, Wukong reassured them, “Don’t be afraid, brothers. You protect the master while I go ask what kind of monster it is.” Pigsy panicked, “Brother, don’t expose us!” Wukong leaped up, whistled loudly, jumped into the air, and shouted fiercely, “Hold on! I’m here!” The monster, upon seeing him, immediately brandished a long spear, looking fierce. Wukong, not to be outdone, asked, “Which monster are you? What spirit are you?” But the monster ignored him and continued to wield its spear.
Wukong secretly laughed, “This monster is deaf and mute; don’t run away, let’s see my staff!” But the monster remained unafraid, continuing to dance with the spear. The two fought fiercely in mid-air, and by the time it was the third watch, there was still no clear winner. Pigsy and Sandy watched from the Li family courtyard and realized that the monster was only brandishing its spear and did not intend to attack. Pigsy couldn’t help but laugh, “Sandy, you stay here to protect, and let old pig help out; don’t let the monkey do it alone!” So this fool jumped up to help. The monster also used its spear to block, and the two engaged in a rapid exchange.
Pigsy praised, “This monster’s spear technique is not bad! It’s not an ordinary spear; it’s practically a soft-handled spear!” Wukong, hearing this, grew anxious, “Fool, don’t talk nonsense! There’s no such thing as a soft-handled spear!” Pigsy retorted, “Look, it’s using the spear tip to hold us; we can’t see the handle at all. I really don’t know where it’s hiding.” Wukong pondered, “Perhaps it really is a soft-handled spear, but this monster can’t speak, so it must have heavy yin energy. When the sun rises and the yang energy increases, it will definitely run away. However, we must not let it escape!”
After fighting for a while, the sky gradually lightened. Seeing the situation was not in its favor, the monster turned to flee. Wukong and Pigsy followed closely, suddenly catching a whiff of a pungent odor. Pigsy frowned, “What kind of place is this? It stinks unbearably!” Wukong covered his nose and shouted, “Quick, chase the monster! Chase the monster!” The monster dove into Qijue Mountain, revealing its true form—a large red-scaled python. Its eyes sparkled like stars, its nose exhaled mist, and its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, its body covered in red scales, looking like it was draped in rouge.
Pigsy exclaimed, “So it’s such a big snake! If it eats people, one meal would need five hundred!” Wukong nodded, “That soft-handled spear is actually two long tongues. If we can weaken it, we can drive it out!” Pigsy leaped forward, raised his rake, and was about to strike, but the monster dove into a hole, leaving its tail outside. Pigsy hurriedly set down the rake and grabbed the tail, shouting, “Got it! Got it!” He pulled with all his might, but it wouldn’t budge.
Wukong laughed, “Fool, stop talking! Let it go into the hole; we have our ways to deal with it!” Pigsy, hearing this, complained, “If we had let go earlier, now half of it has already shrunk back inside—what’s the use?” Wukong shook his head, “This monster is too big, and the hole is too small; it definitely can’t turn around. There must be a back entrance. You quickly go to the back and block it while I attack from the front!”
The fool dashed over and indeed found a small hole on the other side of the mountain. He steadied himself, but before he could get stable, Wukong started jabbing with his staff at the front entrance. The monster felt pain and hurried to escape through the back. Pigsy didn’t react in time and was knocked down by the monster’s tail, falling to the ground and crying out in pain. Wukong saw the hole was empty and rushed in with his staff, shouting, “Hurry, drive the monster away!” Hearing the shout, Pigsy felt a bit embarrassed, endured the pain, got up, and waved his rake wildly. Wukong laughed, “The monster has already run away; what are you flailing about for?” Pigsy replied seriously, “Old Pig is just trying to scare the snake!” Wukong shook his head, “You foolish idiot! Hurry up and chase after it!”
They ran across the stream and saw the monster coiled up, raising its head and opening its massive mouth, trying to swallow Pigsy, who panicked and stepped back. Wukong charged forward but ended up being swallowed by the monster. Pigsy, outside, was anxious and pounded his chest, “Brother, you’re in a terrible spot!” Inside the monster’s belly, Wukong pushed against the walls with his iron staff, saying, “Don’t worry, Pigsy, I’ll make it build a bridge for you to see!” The monster’s belly curved like an arched bridge, but Pigsy shook his head, “It looks like a bridge, but no one would dare walk on it!”
Wukong grinned, “Just wait; I’ll turn it into a boat for you!” He pushed hard against the monster’s belly. The monster’s belly pressed against the ground and lifted its head like a boat. Pigsy added, “It looks like a boat, but it has no mast; it can’t catch the wind at all!” Wukong, not to be outdone, said, “Just wait; I’ll add a mast!” He forcefully pushed the iron staff out from the monster’s back, making it about five to seven zhang long, resembling a mast. The monster couldn’t endure the pain and charged forward with all its might, faster than the wind, returning down the old path. After running over twenty miles, it finally collapsed on the ground, unable to move. Pigsy caught up, raised his rake, and was about to hit it again. Wukong crawled out from the monster and laughed, “Fool, it’s already dead; why are you still hitting it?” Pigsy was unwilling, “Brother, you don’t understand; Old Pig has loved hitting snakes all his life!”
Meanwhile, Old Li from Tuo Luo Village and others were worried about Tang Seng, saying, “Your two disciples haven’t returned all night; something must have happened.” Tang Seng reassured them, “It’s fine; let’s go take a look.” Before long, Wukong and Pigsy returned dragging a large python, and everyone was overjoyed upon seeing it. The villagers, young and old, knelt down and gratefully said, “Grandfather, this is the monster that has harmed people here! Thanks to your lord’s magic, slaying the demon and eliminating the evil, we can live in peace!” Everyone expressed their gratitude, insisting on inviting the master and disciples to stay for a few days. The master and disciples tried to refuse, but they were ultimately kept for five to seven days. When they left, the villagers, seeing they wouldn’t take any money or goods, prepared dry rations and fruits, riding mules and horses, with bright flags and a lively send-off. A full five hundred households sent off seven to eight hundred people, creating a very lively scene!
On the way, everyone was laughing and chatting until they reached the Xishi Pass at Qijue Mountain. As Tang Seng caught a whiff of the foul odor and saw the road completely blocked, he felt worried, “Wukong, what should we do?” Wukong covered his nose and said, “This is indeed tricky.” Hearing this, Tang Seng was almost in tears. Old Li and the others quickly stepped forward to comfort him, “Don’t worry, sir! We’ve already agreed that once your esteemed disciple deals with the monster, we will clear a good path for you.”
Wukong shook his head with a smile, “Old man, you’re mistaken. You say this mountain road is eight hundred miles long; are you divine soldiers of Dayu, capable of opening mountains and carving paths? If my master is to get through, it still depends on us!” Tang Seng dismounted and asked, “So how should we proceed?” Wukong replied with a smile, “Right now, crossing the mountain is indeed difficult. If we were to open a new path, it would be even harder. Let’s just take the old road; I’m just afraid no one will provide food.”
Old Li became anxious, “Don’t worry, Elder! With the four of you here, we can provide for you as long as you need; how could anyone go hungry!”
Wukong slapped his forehead, “Then hurry and prepare two stones of dry rice, and make some steamed buns. Once that long-nosed monk is full, he can turn into a big pig and clear the old road. My master can ride on horseback, and we’ll support him; we’ll definitely get through!” Pigsy heard this and immediately protested, “Brother, you all want to be clean; why should I be the one to stink?”
Tang Seng encouraged him, “Wuneng, if you can clear the alley and lead me over the mountain, that would be your merit!” Pigsy cheerfully replied, “Master, don’t laugh at me; Old Pig actually has thirty-six transformations, able to turn into mountains, trees, or stones, but I need to be full to work!”
Everyone chimed in, “We all have provisions; the pancakes and buns are here, originally meant to help you cross the mountain, so hurry and eat!” Pigsy happily took off his outer garment, tossed aside his nine-toothed rake, and proudly said, “Don’t laugh; watch me, Old Pig, perform this stinky task!” Saying this, he made a gesture and transformed into a large pig, with a long snout, short fur, black face, ringed eyes, round head, and big ears, looking quite fearsome.
Tang Seng and the others were amazed, praising his magical powers. Seeing Pigsy’s transformation, Wukong quickly called the farewell party to gather the provisions so Pigsy could enjoy them. The fool didn’t care about the raw or cooked food and devoured everything. Once he was full, he went ahead to clear the road. Wukong instructed Sandy to take off his shoes, pick up the burden, and asked Tang Seng to sit steadily on the saddle. Wukong also took off his boots and told everyone to head back, “Quickly go fetch food; don’t let my junior brother go hungry!”
Among those sending them off were about seven to eight hundred people, many with mules and horses, who hurried back to the village to cook; another three hundred walked, standing at the foot of the mountain, watching them from afar. In fact, it was over thirty miles from the village to the mountain, and by the time they returned with food, it would take a hundred miles round trip, and the master and disciples would have already gone far. The crowd was reluctant and urged the mules and horses into the alley, traveling overnight, and only caught up the next day, shouting, “Elder on the journey for scriptures, slow down! We’ve come to bring food!” Tang Seng was very grateful, “What kind-hearted people!” He then asked Pigsy to stop and have some food to boost his courage.
The fool had been clearing the road for two days and was quite hungry. The food brought by the people was more than seven or eight stones; he didn’t care whether it was rice or flour, eating everything in sight. After a hearty meal, he went back to clearing the road. Tang Seng, along with Wukong and Sandy, thanked everyone and bid farewell. It was indeed: the guests from Tuo Luo Village returned home, while Pigsy opened the mountain to pass through.
Tang Seng’s sincere heart and strong spirit, along with Wukong’s magical prowess, made a powerful impact. Today, the rare persimmons are ripe, and the old alley is now open. All desires and attachments are completely severed, and they can safely worship at the lotus platform. On this journey, they still don’t know how much farther they must go or what monsters they will encounter, so stay tuned for the next part!
