Tang Seng steadied his mind and finally shook off the troubles caused by the distractions around him. With his disciples, he set off westward. It was summer, with a gentle breeze and light rain—truly a great time for a journey! The green trees provided shade, the wind blew softly, and swallows danced in the sky, guiding their little chicks. New lotus flowers rolled on the water's surface, and the bamboo swayed gently. The fragrant grass was like a carpet, wildflowers bloomed everywhere, and the bulrushes by the stream stood tall like swords, while the pomegranate flowers blossomed magnificently along their path.
Just then, the four of them were feeling the heat when they suddenly spotted two rows of tall willow trees by the roadside. An old woman emerged from the shade, holding a child's hand in her right hand, and shouted at Tang Seng, “Monk, don’t go any further! Turn back quickly; heading west is a dead end!” Startled, Tang Seng jumped off his horse and hurriedly asked, “Old lady, the ancients said the sea is vast for fish to leap and the sky is free for birds to fly. How can it be a dead end going west?”
The old woman pointed to the west and said, “Just five or six miles away is the Kingdom of Destruction. The king there holds a grudge from his past life and has been committing crimes without reason in this life. Two years ago, he made a great vow to kill ten thousand monks. Over the past two years, he has already killed nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-six nameless monks. He only needs four famous monks to reach his goal of ten thousand. If you enter the city, you’ll be signing your own death warrant!” Hearing this, Tang Seng felt a surge of fear and trembled as he said, “Thank you so much, old lady! Is there a way to avoid entering the city? This poor monk wishes to turn back.”
The old woman chuckled, “You can’t turn back unless you can fly!” At this moment, Pigsy chimed in, “Oh come on, don’t joke! We can all fly!” Seeing this, the Monkey King understood that the old woman was actually Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding the child of good fortune. He quickly knelt down and said, “Bodhisattva, I failed to greet you properly!” The Bodhisattva floated up on a cloud, leaving Tang Seng feeling utterly embarrassed, and he could only kneel and bow. Pigsy and Sandy also hurriedly knelt down and worshipped the sky.
In an instant, the clouds floated away, heading straight for the South Sea. The Monkey King stood up and supported his master, saying, “Please rise, Bodhisattva has returned to Treasure Mountain.” Tang Seng asked, “Wukong, since you recognize her as the Bodhisattva, why didn’t you say so earlier?” The Monkey King laughed and replied, “How could I say anything once I knelt down?” Pigsy and Sandy said to the Monkey King, “Thanks to the Bodhisattva’s guidance, it seems we’re heading straight for the Kingdom of Destruction, where they kill monks. What should we do?” The Monkey King reassured them, “Don’t be afraid, you fools! We’ve faced so many dangers before; this is just a kingdom of mortals. What’s there to fear? But this isn’t our home, and it’s getting late. There are villages ahead, and when they see us as monks, they’ll surely raise a ruckus.”
So, the Monkey King suggested, “Let’s find a secluded place to discuss our strategy.” Tang Seng nodded in agreement, and they all stepped aside to find a pit to sit down. The Monkey King said, “Brothers, you protect Master well. I’ll go into the city to scout for a hidden path and travel through the night.” Tang Seng cautioned, “Disciple, be very careful! The king’s law is strict; you must be cautious!” The Monkey King smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I have my ways.”
With that, the Monkey King leaped up and soared into the air. Strangely, there were no ropes pulling him, nor any sticks supporting him; he felt as light as a feather. As he looked down from the clouds, he saw the city bustling with joy and radiance. The Monkey King thought, “What a great place! Why is it called the Kingdom of Destruction?” He observed closely, and as the sky gradually darkened, he saw the bright street lamps at the intersections, the fragrant incense from the Nine-Story Palace, and the seven bright stars shining in the blue sky, as travelers returned from their journeys.
He pondered, “I need to go down and inquire about the path. In this outfit, if someone sees me, I’ll definitely be recognized as a monk. I should change my appearance.” So, he recited a spell, chanted a true mantra, and transformed into a moth.
This moth was slender and light-winged, specifically drawn to light. Its original form changed into a nimble little bug, fluttering happily in the glow of the fire. It flew toward the six streets and three markets, approaching the eaves of the houses. As it flew, it suddenly spotted a family at a corner with a lantern hanging at their door. It thought, “Are they celebrating the Lantern Festival? Why does every family have a lantern?” Flying closer, it saw the lantern inscribed with “Rest for Traveling Merchants” and below it, “Wang Xiaoer’s Inn.” It realized it was a restaurant.
Upon closer inspection, it saw eight or nine people inside, having finished dinner, loosening their clothes, washing their hands and feet, and each heading to bed. The Monkey King felt secretly pleased, thinking, “Master should be able to get through.” You might wonder how he knew? Because he was plotting something mischievous, waiting for everyone to fall asleep so he could steal their clothes and headscarves to disguise himself as an ordinary person to enter the city.
As they were pondering their strategy, the young innkeeper approached and warned, “Gentlemen, you must be careful! Here, gentlemen and scoundrels are not the same; you need to keep an eye on your clothes and belongings!” You can imagine, those in business must be cautious. Hearing this, the Monkey King felt even more anxious and quickly said, “You’re right, master! Traveling is tough, and if we’re not careful, we might fall asleep and lose our things. Please take our clothes and headscarves and keep them safe until morning!”
The young innkeeper indeed moved all their clothes inside. The Monkey King, being impatient, immediately spread his wings and flew inside, landing on a headscarf rack. After that, the innkeeper went to the door, took down the lantern, closed the doors and windows, and then prepared to undress and go to sleep. However, the innkeeper also had a mother-in-law who was busy with two noisy children and had no intention of sleeping. The mother-in-law was sewing torn clothes, completely occupied. The Monkey King thought, “If I wait for this old woman to fall asleep before making my move, it will delay Master!”
As it got later and later, and the city gates were about to close, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He flew down and pounced towards the light, but the lantern had already been extinguished. He then transformed into a mouse, squeaked a couple of times, and jumped down to grab the clothes and headscarves to run outside. Seeing this, the mother-in-law hurriedly shouted, “Old man, it’s bad! The night mouse has become a spirit!” The Monkey King, hearing this, pretended to be calm and shouted at the door, “Wang Xiaoer, don’t listen to your wife’s nonsense! I’m not a night mouse spirit; I’m the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, here to help Tang Seng go to the West to obtain the scriptures! You wicked king, I just need to borrow some clothes to disguise my master, and I’ll return them as soon as we pass through the city!”
Wang Xiaoer was thrown into chaos by this, fumbling around in the dark, struggling to put on his pants. Meanwhile, the Monkey King had already taken to the clouds and flew out, heading straight for the pit where his master was waiting. Tang Seng saw the bright stars and moon, leaned forward to take a look, and immediately recognized it was the Monkey King, asking, “Disciple, can we pass through the Kingdom of Destruction?” The Monkey King set down the clothes and said, “Master, if we pass through the Kingdom of Destruction, we can’t remain monks.” Pigsy chimed in, “Brother, why do you say that? It’s simple to stop being a monk; just don’t shave your head for half a year, and hair will grow!”
The Monkey King replied helplessly, “We can’t wait half a year! We need to act like ordinary people right now!” At this point, Sandy also got anxious, “Why are you talking so irresponsibly? We’re monks now; how can we wear ordinary clothes?” Tang Seng admonished, “Stop interrupting! Let’s focus on the task at hand! What should we do?” The Monkey King explained, “Master, I’ve already scouted the city. Although the king is wicked and kills monks, there is still a true emperor in the city, and auspicious light shines from the city wall. I know the streets and can speak the local dialect. We borrowed a few sets of clothes and headscarves from the inn; we’ll disguise ourselves as ordinary folks, find a place to stay, and at the fourth watch, we’ll get up, arrange for our meal, and leave the city by the fifth watch, heading west. If anyone stops us, we’ll say we’re imperial envoys and they wouldn’t dare to obstruct us.”
Sandy nodded and said, “What big brother says makes sense; let’s follow his lead.” Tang Seng, left with no choice, took off his monk robe, changed into ordinary clothes, and put on a headscarf. Sandy followed suit, but Pigsy had a big head and couldn’t fit the headscarf. The Monkey King used a needle and thread to sew the headscarf open, making it wide, and then dressed Pigsy in loose-fitting clothes. The Monkey King instructed, “Listen up, let’s keep the words ‘master’ and ‘disciple’ to ourselves.” Pigsy asked, “Then what should we call each other?” The Monkey King replied, “We’ll address each other as brothers: Master will be called Tang Daguansheng, you’ll be Zhu Sanguan, Sandy will be Sha Si Guan, and I’ll be Sun Erguan. But in the inn, don’t speak; I’ll do all the talking. When the innkeeper asks what business we have, we’ll say we’re horse traders, and we’re ten brothers, with four of us here first to rent the inn for selling horses. The innkeeper will naturally treat us well. Before we leave, I’ll turn into a piece of silver to thank him, and we’ll be able to go.”
Tang Seng reluctantly agreed. The four of them hurriedly led their horses and carried their burdens, walking over to the inn. It was a peaceful place, and as night fell, the city gates hadn’t yet closed, so they walked directly into Wang Xiaoer’s inn. Inside, people were shouting, “I can’t find my headscarf!” “I can’t find my clothes!” The Monkey King feigned innocence and led them to a nearby inn to rest. The family there hadn’t taken down their lantern yet, and the Monkey King shouted at the door, “Innkeeper, do you have any spare rooms for us to rest?”
A woman inside responded, “Yes, yes, yes! Please, gentlemen, come upstairs.” After speaking, a man came out to lead their horses. The Monkey King handed over the horse and followed his master behind the lantern’s shadow, heading straight upstairs. The upstairs had convenient tables and chairs, and when they opened the window, the moonlight poured in, allowing everyone to sit down together.
At that moment, someone downstairs lit a lamp, and the Monkey King quickly stopped them, blowing a breath, “The moon is bright enough; there’s no need for a lamp!” The person had no choice but to go back down. Shortly after, a maid brought up four bowls of tea. The Monkey King took the tea and thought to himself, “What a hospitable place this is.”
Then, a woman came upstairs, around fifty-seven or fifty-eight years old, looking quite amiable. She stood nearby and asked, “Gentlemen, where are you from? What goods do you have?”
The Monkey King smiled and replied, “We are from the north, selling a few coarse horses.” The woman shook her head, “There aren’t many horse traders.” The Monkey King continued, “This is Tang Daguansheng, this is Zhu Sanguan, that is Sha Si Guan, and I am Sun Erguan.” The woman smiled, “You truly are a group of brothers from different surnames.” The Monkey King nodded, “Exactly, we have ten brothers in total; the four of us came first to rent a room, while the other six are waiting outside the city with a herd of horses. It’s late, so they couldn’t enter the city. Once we’ve rented a room, they’ll come in tomorrow morning.”
Curious, the woman asked, “How many horses do you have?” The Monkey King replied, “In total, there are about a hundred horses, all like my horse here, just with different colors.” The woman praised, “Sun Erguan is indeed a discerning person! My inn has a spacious yard, complete troughs, and enough fodder to accommodate hundreds of horses. However, I have a rule: we must agree on the room price before we can settle the bill.”
The Monkey King nodded, “That’s right. What hospitality do you offer here?” The woman answered, “I have three options: the top option is a feast with five fruits and five dishes, a sugar table for the lion dance, and singing girls, each requiring five coins of silver, including the room fee.” The Monkey King laughed, “Oh dear, five coins aren’t enough to invite the girls!”
The woman continued, “The middle option is a communal table with fruits and hot wine; you can play games as you like, and no singing girls are needed, only two coins of silver each.” The Monkey King said, “That’s not bad! And what about the bottom option?” The woman hesitated a bit, “The bottom option… I’m afraid to mention it in front of you.” The Monkey King laughed, “It’s fine to say; we’ll choose accordingly.” Finally, the woman replied, “The bottom option is no service; there’s cooked rice in the pot, and you can eat freely. After you’re full, just spread out on the floor to sleep. In the morning, you give a few coins for the rice, and there’s no fighting over it.”
Pigsy, hearing this, excitedly shouted, “What a blessing! Old Zhu’s business is coming! I just want to eat my fill from the pot and then sleep by the stove!” The Monkey King shook his head, “Brother, don’t say that! We’re in the rivers and lakes; where can we not earn a few taels of silver? Let’s go with the top option!” The woman happily called, “Quickly, prepare the tea, and the kitchen should get things ready!” After saying this, she went downstairs to get busy, shouting, “Kill the chickens and geese, cook the rice!” Then she called, “Slaughter the pigs and sheep; we can use them tomorrow, so keep an eye on the good wine and cook white rice!”
Tang Seng, hearing this from upstairs, got anxious: “Sun Erguan, what should we do? She’s going to kill chickens and geese and slaughter pigs and sheep, but we’re all vegetarian; who would dare eat?” The Monkey King thought for a moment, then had an idea. He walked to the door and called, “Mama Zhao, come up!” The woman came upstairs and asked, “Erguan, what’s your command?” The Monkey King said, “Today, don’t kill any animals; we are observing a fast.”
Upon hearing this, the widow asked in surprise, “Are you gentlemen observing a long fast or a monthly fast?” The Monkey King smiled and replied, “Neither. We are observing the Geng Shen fast. Today is indeed Geng Shen day, and after the third watch, it will be Xin You, and we can break our fast then. Let’s postpone any killing until tomorrow. For now, please prepare some vegetarian dishes at the same price.” The widow clapped her hands in delight and hurried downstairs to instruct, “Don’t kill anything! Get some mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, gluten, pull some greens from the garden, make some noodle soup, steam some rolls, and cook some white rice, and brew some fragrant tea!”
The cooks, used to their work, quickly prepared the meals and set them upstairs. There were also ready-made lion dance candies, and the four brothers enjoyed their meal happily. The Monkey King asked, “Do you have any vegetarian wine?” The widow replied, “Yes, but since Tang Daguansheng doesn’t drink, we’ll have a few cups ourselves.” She brought a pot of warm wine and poured it for the three of them when suddenly there was a sound of “ping pong pong.” The Monkey King asked, “Mama, what’s happening downstairs?” The widow explained, “It’s nothing. A few guests from my small estate brought the rent rice late, so they’re sleeping downstairs. Since you’ve come and there’s no one to serve, I had them carry a sedan chair to the courtyard to invite some girls to accompany you. I think the sedan poles are banging against the floor.”
The Monkey King quickly said, “You should have mentioned that earlier; don’t go inviting anyone. First, we’re observing a fast, and second, my brothers haven’t arrived yet. Let’s just wait until tomorrow; we can invite a courtesan and have some fun at the manor after we sell the horses.” The widow happily said, “Good man! This way, we maintain harmony and can keep our spirits up.” She then ordered, “Bring the sedan chair in; don’t let anyone go.”
The four of them enjoyed their meal and wine, and once everything was tidied up, everyone dispersed.
At this moment, Tang Seng quietly asked the Monkey King, “Where will we sleep?” The Monkey King replied, “Right upstairs.” Tang Seng said, “That’s not very secure. We’ve worked hard, and if we fall asleep, what if someone comes in and sees our bald heads and recognizes us as monks? That would be troublesome.” The Monkey King nodded in agreement, walked to the front of the building, and called out, “Mama Zhao, come up!”
The widow came up again and asked, “Son, what do you need?” The Monkey King said, “Can we sleep here?” The widow replied, “Upstairs is comfortable, with no mosquitoes, and the south wind blows gently; it’s especially pleasant.”
But the Monkey King said, “That won’t do. My brother Zhu Sanguan has a bit of dampness, Sha Si Guan has a draft on his shoulder, and Tang Dage wants to sleep in the dark. I’m a bit shy too; this place isn’t suitable.” The widow sighed, and just then her daughter came over holding a child and said to her mother, “Mother, as the saying goes, ‘Sit on the beach for ten days, walk through nine beaches in one day.’ Now it’s summer; although there’s not much business, when autumn comes, we still can’t do business. Why are you sighing?”
The widow replied, “My child, I’m not worried about business. Tonight, I’ve already closed the shop, and as it gets closer to curfew, these four horse traders came to rent a room. I thought I could make some silver, but since they’re observing a fast, I won’t earn anything, which is why I’m sighing.” The daughter, thinking quickly, said, “Since they’ve eaten, they won’t want to go to someone else’s house. We can arrange for meat and wine tomorrow; how could we not make money?”
The widow shook her head, “They’re all sick, afraid of the wind and light, and want to sleep in the dark. You know our house has only single-tile roofs; where can we find a dark place?”
The daughter’s eyes lit up: “Mother, we have a dark place that’s not drafty and is very good!” The widow asked, “Where is it?” The daughter replied, “Father made a large cabinet before, four feet wide, seven feet long, and three feet high, which can fit six or seven people. Let them sleep in the cabinet!” The widow nodded, “I don’t know if that will work; let me ask them.” She then said to the Monkey King, “Sun Erguan, my house is cramped and has no dark place, only a large cabinet that’s not drafty and dark. What do you think about sleeping in the cabinet?” Upon hearing this, the Monkey King immediately became excited and said, “Good! Good! Good!”
That night, a few guests brought out the large cabinet, opened the lid, and invited them downstairs. The Monkey King led his master, while Sha Seng carried the burden, following the light to the cabinet. Without hesitation, Pigsy jumped straight into the cabinet. Sha Seng passed in the luggage and helped Tang Seng inside as well. Sha Seng squeezed in too. The Monkey King asked, “Where’s my horse?” A servant nearby replied, “The horse is in the back room eating fodder.” Upon hearing this, the Monkey King immediately said, “Bring it over, and bring the trough too; tie it close to the cabinet.” Once everyone was inside the cabinet, the Monkey King called out, “Mama Zhao, quickly cover the lid, insert the locking pins, and lock it up. Also, check if there’s any light coming through and paste some paper over it. Come early tomorrow to open it.” The widow laughed, “You’re really cautious!” Then everyone closed their doors and went to sleep.
But those four inside the cabinet were quite miserable! One had just put on a headscarf, and the second, due to the hot weather, was suffocating. Unable to bear it, they all took off their headscarves and clothes, with no fans to cool themselves, only using their monk hats to fan the air. They were pressed together, and by the time it was the second watch, everyone had fallen asleep, except for the Monkey King, who was plotting mischief and couldn’t sleep. He pinched Pigsy’s leg, causing Pigsy to retract his foot and grunt, “Sleep already! After all this hard work, you still have the energy to pinch someone?” The Monkey King mischievously said, “We originally had five thousand taels; after selling horses, we got three thousand taels. Now, with two loads left, we still have four thousand taels. If we sell this group of horses for another three thousand taels, wouldn’t we make a fortune!”
Pigsy ignored him, but the inn’s staff overheard the Monkey King mention silver and secretly slipped out, teaming up with over twenty thieves, brandishing torches as they rushed in to rob. Widow Zhao and her daughter were terrified and quickly locked the door. The thieves didn’t care about the inn’s belongings; they only wanted to find the guests. When they went upstairs and saw no one, they lit their torches and searched around, discovering a large cabinet in the courtyard, tied to a white horse, with the lid tightly locked and unable to be opened. The thieves thought to themselves, “Travelers have their tricks. This cabinet looks heavy; it must be locked with a lot of valuables. If we steal the horse and carry the cabinet out of the city, we can open it and share the loot, getting rich!”
So, the thieves found ropes and began to carry the cabinet away, swaying as they went. Suddenly, Pigsy woke up and asked, “Brother, why is it shaking when we were sleeping so well?” The Monkey King quickly said, “Don’t talk! No one is shaking it.” Tang Seng and Sha Seng also woke up and asked, “Who is carrying us?” The Monkey King whispered, “Don’t shout; just wait for them to carry us! Once we reach the West, we won’t have to walk.”
After the thieves succeeded, they didn’t head west but instead ran towards the east of the city, killing the guards at the gate and escaping through the city gate. This alarmed all the shops in the six streets and three markets; the guards reported it to the city’s general and the Eastern City Military Command. Upon hearing this, the general immediately gathered troops to pursue the thieves. The thieves, seeing the government troops were numerous, dared not resist, quickly put down the cabinet, abandoned the white horse, and scattered to escape. The government troops didn’t catch a single thief but seized the cabinet and captured the horse, returning victorious.
In the light, the general saw the horse and felt delighted: this horse was truly magnificent, with a mane like silver threads and a tail like jade strands, simply a treasure worth a fortune, capable of running a thousand miles. Thus, the general chose not to ride his own horse but instead mounted the white horse, leading his troops back into the city, bringing the cabinet to the general’s residence, sealing it with a cover, and assigning guards to watch over it until dawn to report to the king for a decision. The troops then dispersed.
Meanwhile, Tang Seng was furious inside the cabinet, complaining to the Monkey King, “You monkey head, you’ve truly doomed me! If we were caught outside and handed over to the king of the enemy country, I could still argue a few words; but now we’re locked in this cabinet, taken by thieves and then seized by the government troops. Tomorrow, when we meet the king, won’t it be a ready-made excuse for execution? What are we going to do?”
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King thought to himself, “Don’t panic; there are people outside! Once I open the cabinet, if we’re tied up and hung, that would be troublesome. Let’s endure for now to avoid suffering. When we see that foolish king tomorrow, I’ll have a way to ensure you’re not harmed at all. Just sleep peacefully for now!” As it approached the third watch, the Monkey King suddenly had an idea, quietly took out his golden staff, blew a breath of celestial air, and called out “Transform!” In an instant, the staff transformed into a three-pointed drill, and he drilled a hole at the base of the cabinet. After putting away the drill, the Monkey King transformed himself into a small ant, quietly crawled out, revealed his true form, and soared into the clouds, heading straight for the palace.
At that moment, the king was sound asleep. The Monkey King had an idea and used his great cloning technique. He plucked a hair from his left arm, blew a breath of celestial air on it, and transformed it into a small version of himself; then he plucked a hair from his right arm, turning it into a sleep bug. He recited the sacred syllable “Om,” commanding the local earth deity to lead everyone to scatter throughout the inner palace. All the officials were transformed into sleep bugs, each sleeping soundly without turning over.
Then, the Monkey King picked up his golden staff, weighed it, and called out, “Treasure, transform!” The staff instantly transformed into hundreds of razors. He took one for himself and instructed the little versions of himself to each take one and go into the inner palace, the five offices, and various government offices to shave heads.
The midnight head shaving was quite a commotion. The king’s law was boundless, and his magic permeated the universe. As he chanted spells, he drove away the earth gods. With a shake, the hairs on his arms returned to their original places, and the razors transformed back into the golden staff, which he hid in his ear. He then changed back into an ant, crawled back into the cabinet, revealed his true form, and kept watch with Tang Seng without mentioning anything.
The next morning, the palace maids and colorful dancers hadn’t woken up yet, only to find they had lost all their hair. The eunuchs in the palace were also bald and hurriedly rushed to the emperor’s sleeping quarters to play music and wake him. When the king opened his eyes and saw the queen’s bald head, he was so startled that he jumped up, exclaiming, “Zitong, what happened to you?” The queen, equally confused, replied, “Your Majesty, you’re the same!” The king touched his own head and was terrified, “What should I do?”
At this moment, the concubines, maids, and eunuchs from the six courtyards all knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, we’ve all become monks!” Seeing this, the king burst into tears, “It seems I’ve truly killed the monks.” He quickly ordered, “Don’t mention the hair loss, to avoid gossip among the civil and military officials. Quickly go to the hall and hold court!”
Meanwhile, officials from the five offices and six ministries were also bald and rushed to the court to pay their respects and submit memorials about the incident. They heard the sound of the whip three times, reporting to the emperor, “Regarding the head shaving last night.” However, everyone was completely unaware of the general seizing the thieves' loot from the cabinet and the fate of Tang Seng and the others. To find out what happened, stay tuned for the next chapter.
