Sun Wukong was leading his horse and carrying a load, searching the mountains for his master. Suddenly, Pigsy rushed over, fuming, and asked, “Brother, what are you shouting about?” Wukong quickly replied, “I can’t find Master! Have you seen him?” Pigsy scoffed, “I was just being a monk with Tang Seng, now you want me to be a general! I barely escaped after fighting a fierce battle with the monsters. You and Sandy were supposed to keep an eye on him, so why are you asking me?” Wukong sighed, “Brother, I’m not blaming you. You might have been distracted and let the monsters out, which is how Master got captured. I went to fight the monsters and left Sandy to watch over Master, but now even Sandy is missing!”
Pigsy burst out laughing, “I bet Sandy took Master to the toilet!” Just as he said that, Sandy appeared. Wukong hurriedly asked, “Sandy, where’s Master?” Sandy looked helpless and said, “Are your eyes playing tricks on you? The monsters captured Master, and I went to fight them. Master is sitting on his horse!” Wukong jumped up in anger, “We fell for the monsters' trick! This is a classic ploy to separate us brothers, and they took Master while we were distracted. What are we going to do?” Tears streamed down his face.
Pigsy quickly comforted him, “Don’t cry! If you cry, you’ll just be a mess! Master is definitely nearby; let’s go find him.” So, the three of them had no choice but to venture into the mountains. After walking about twenty miles, they suddenly spotted a cave at the foot of a cliff. The mountain peaks were sharp, and the area was filled with strange rocks, fragrant flowers, and vibrant red apricots and green peaches competing for beauty. Ancient trees stood tall at the cliff’s edge, and wild cranes danced at the cave entrance, while mountain birds chirped in the branches—it was like a fairyland.
Wukong, excited, jumped to the entrance and found the stone door tightly shut, with a stone slab across it that read “Hidden Mist Mountain, Zhe Yue Lian Huan Cave.” He turned to Pigsy and said, “Let’s break it down! This must be the monsters' lair, and Master has to be inside!” Pigsy immediately swung his rake and smashed it against the stone door, creating a large hole, shouting, “Monsters! Bring my Master out, or I’ll smash your door down!”
The little monster guarding the door hurriedly ran to report, “Boss, we have a situation!” The old monster was startled, “What’s going on?” The little monster panicked, “Someone broke the door and is shouting for Master!” The old monster became anxious, “Who is looking for him?” The lead monster said, “Don’t worry, I’ll go check it out.” The little monster peeked out through the hole and saw Pigsy with his long ears and big mouth. He called back, “Boss, don’t be afraid! This is Pigsy; he’s not tough and won’t dare to act recklessly. If he gets out of line, we can just grab him. The one to be afraid of is that hairy-faced monk!”
Pigsy heard this and shouted, “Hey, he’s not afraid of me; he’s scared of you! Master must be in his lair, hurry up!” Wukong angrily yelled, “You wretched creature! Your grandfather is here! Bring my Master out, or I’ll spare your life!” The lead monster panicked, “Oh no, Sun Wukong is here too!” The old monster grumbled, “This is all your fault for creating this mess! What are we going to do now?” The lead monster said, “Don’t worry, don’t blame me. I remember Sun Wukong is a broad-minded monkey; although he’s powerful, he’s easy to talk to. Let’s take out a fake head to fool him. As long as we flatter him and say his Master is our meal, if we can trick him, Tang Seng will still be ours; if not, we’ll figure something out.” The old monster asked, “Where do we find a fake head?” The lead monster confidently replied, “Leave it to me.”
So, the little monster chopped a willow tree root into the shape of a head, sprayed it with some blood, and clumsily had another little monster carry it to the door on a plate, shouting, “Grandpa Great Sage, please calm down!” Upon hearing “Grandpa Great Sage,” Wukong immediately stopped Pigsy, “Don’t act yet; let’s see what he says.” The little monster said, “Your Master has been captured by my boss. The little monsters in the cave are mischievous and don’t know any better; they came to swallow and gnaw at your Master, leaving only this head behind.” Wukong’s heart sank, “If he’s eaten, then show me the head, so I can see if it’s real!”
The little monster threw a human head out of the cave, and as soon as Pigsy saw it, he burst into tears, “How pitiful! My Master went in, and this is what comes out!” Wukong quickly said, “Fool, don’t cry just yet; let’s see if this head is real!” Pigsy retorted, “Is there even a difference between a real and a fake head?” Wukong shook his head, “This is a fake head.” Pigsy was confused, “How do you know it’s fake?” Wukong smiled mysteriously, “A real head would make a ‘thud’ sound when thrown, while a fake one makes a ‘clang’ sound. If you don’t believe me, let me try.” He then grabbed the head and threw it against a rock, producing a crisp sound. Sandy chimed in, “Brother, that sound is quite loud!” Wukong slapped his thigh, “If it’s loud, it’s fake! Let me show you its true form!” Saying that, he pulled out his golden staff and struck the head hard, breaking it open to reveal a willow tree root inside.
Pigsy was furious, “You bunch of furry creatures! Hiding my Master in the cave and using a willow tree root to fool me! Do you think my Master is a willow spirit?”
At that moment, the little monster holding the plate trembled in fear and hurriedly ran to report, “It’s bad, it’s bad, it’s bad!” The old monster looked puzzled, “What’s so bad?” The little monster explained, “Pigsy and Sandy were easily tricked, but Sun Wukong is an antique dealer; he knows his stuff! He immediately saw that the head was fake. Now we need to get him a real head, and maybe he’ll leave.” The old monster, anxious, asked, “How do we get a real head?” The little monster thought for a moment, “In our skinning pavilion, there are heads we can’t eat; let’s pick one.” So, the monsters rushed to the pavilion, selected a fresh head, cleaned off the skin, and then brought it out on a plate, shouting, “Grandpa Great Sage, that was a fake head. This time, it’s the real head of Tang Seng! My boss keeps it to guard the house and specially offers it to you!” With that, they threw the bloody head out of the cave.
When Sun Wukong saw it, it was indeed a real head, and he couldn’t help but feel sorrowful, tears streaming down his face. Pigsy and Sandy also began to weep. Pigsy cried, “Brother, don’t cry anymore; it’s not good, and it might start to smell. Let me bury the head first, then we can cry.” Wukong nodded, “You’re right.” Pigsy, not minding the dirt, cradled the head in his arms, ran up the cliff, found a spot with good energy, dug a hole with his rake, buried the head, and even built a small mound over it. Then he said to Sandy, “You and Brother can cry here; I’ll go find some offerings.” He ran to the stream, climbed a few big willow branches, picked up some pebbles, returned to the grave, and placed the willow branches on either side and the pebbles in front.
Wukong curiously asked, “What’s going on here?” Pigsy replied, “These willow branches are like pine and cypress, to shelter Master’s grave; these stones are just snacks to offer him.” Wukong widened his eyes, “You fool! The person is dead, and you’re offering him stones!” Pigsy justified, “This is just a token of my respect, a way to show filial piety.” Wukong sighed, “Stop messing around! Let Sandy guard here while we break into the monsters’ lair, capture the demons, and take revenge for Master!” Sandy nodded through his tears, “Big Brother is right; you two go ahead, I’ll keep watch here.”
Pigsy quickly took off his dark robe, tightened his clothes, raised his rake, and rushed forward with Wukong. Together, they gathered their strength and smashed the stone door, shouting, “Return my living Tang Seng!” The monsters inside were terrified, their souls nearly leaving their bodies, all blaming the lead monster: “This is bad!”
Seeing this, the old monster asked the lead monster, “What should we do now that these monks have come in?” The lead monster pounded his chest, “As the ancients said, you can’t avoid the smell when your hands are in the fish basket. Since they’re here, let’s just fight back and kill them with our weapons!” The old monster, feeling helpless, had no choice but to order, “Little ones, work together and prepare to march!” The monsters shouted in unison and charged out of the cave.
At that moment, Sun Wukong and Pigsy quickly stepped back a few paces, standing on level ground, and shouted, “Which of you is the infamous monster? Who took my Master?” The monsters set up camp, and the old monster raised his iron pestle, shouting, “You shameless monk, don’t you recognize me? I am the King of Nanshan, living wildly here for hundreds of years. Your Tang Seng has already been eaten by me; what are you going to do about it?” Wukong, infuriated, retorted, “You bold little furball! How old can you be to call yourself the King of Nanshan? Even Li Taibai, Buddha, and Confucius wouldn’t dare to boast like that. You wretched creature, it’s truly laughable!”
The monster, unwilling to back down, countered, “You monkey, how dare you be so arrogant in front of me! What skills do you have?” Wukong laughed, “Let me tell you, my ancestral home is in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, and everything in the world is my friend. The immortal stones from Flower-Fruit Mountain gave birth to me. I’m not an ordinary being; I was born a holy body, titled the Great Sage, and even a hundred thousand divine troops cannot do anything to me!”
Hearing this, the monsters were terrified and enraged, gritting their teeth as they jumped forward to strike Wukong with the iron pestle. Wukong easily blocked it with his staff, preparing to continue speaking. At that moment, Pigsy could no longer hold back and swung his rake fiercely at the lead monster. A chaotic battle broke out in the flat area of the mountain, truly a fierce fight! The Eastern monks and Western monsters clashed fiercely, dust flying everywhere, making it hard to see.
During the fight, the little monsters shouted, brandishing their weapons, while Wukong and Pigsy worked together, bravely pushing forward. The King of Nanshan and his subordinates fought desperately for a piece of Tang Seng meat, resulting in a chaotic battle with no clear victor. Seeing that the little monsters were fierce and unyielding, Wukong came up with a plan. He plucked a hair from his body, chewed it, and spat it out, shouting, “Transform!” Instantly, all the little monsters transformed into his likeness and rushed forward.
Now, the two hundred little monsters looked around in confusion, hurriedly fleeing for their lives, retreating back to their cave. Wukong and Pigsy charged out from the fray, and alas, those ignorant little monsters were beaten bloody by Pigsy’s rake, a sight too tragic to behold! The King of Nanshan, seeing this, was so frightened that he fled in a panic. The lead monster, however, was not so lucky; Wukong struck him down with his staff, revealing his true form as an iron-backed wolf monster.
Pigsy approached and turned him over, saying, “This fellow must have stolen countless piglets and lambs since he was young!” Wukong shook himself and pulled back his hair, “Fool, stop dawdling! Quickly chase the old monster and avenge our Master!” Pigsy turned around and noticed that the little monsters had all disappeared, exclaiming, “Brother, all the transformations have run away!” Wukong comforted him, “I’ve already recalled them.” Pigsy happily said, “Wonderful! Wonderful!” So, the two rejoiced and returned victorious.
The old monster, escaping back to the cave, immediately ordered the little monsters to move stones and dirt to block the front door. The little monsters, trembling with fear, hurriedly blocked the door securely, no longer daring to show their faces. Wukong and Pigsy arrived at the entrance, shouting for a response, but no one answered from inside. Pigsy tried to smash the door with his rake, but it didn’t budge. Seeing this, Wukong shook his head, “Pigsy, don’t waste your effort; the door is blocked.”
Upon hearing this, Pigsy panicked, “Then how do we avenge my Master?” Wukong thought for a moment, “Let’s go back and check on Sandy.” So, the two returned to the grave and found Sandy still crying. Pigsy became even more sorrowful, dropping his rake and collapsing on the grave, weeping bitterly, “Oh, my poor Master! My distant Master! I will never see you again!”
Wukong comforted him, “Brother, don’t be too sad. The monster has blocked the front door, but there must be a back door. Wait here, and I’ll go look.” Pigsy, with tear-filled eyes, said, “Brother, be careful! Don’t let them capture you too; we would cry our hearts out!” Wukong patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry; I have a plan!”
The Great Sage put away his staff, adjusted his clothes, and turned over the mountain slope. Suddenly, he heard the sound of flowing water and turned to see that it was the stream flowing. He noticed a small door on the other side of the stream, next to which was a dark ditch flowing with red water. Wukong’s heart stirred, “This must be the back door! But if I turn into a water snake, my Master’s spirit might sense it, and turning into a little crab wouldn’t work either; my Master would think I have too many legs.”
So, he decided to transform into a water rat, swiftly slipping through the opening and into the courtyard from the stream. Peeking inside, he saw several little monsters sunbathing human flesh. Wukong was startled, thinking, “This must be my Master’s flesh, dried for later use! I need to reveal myself, give them a good whack, and pretend to be brave but foolish, then transform back to find that old monster!”
He jumped out of the ditch, transformed into a little winged ant, and easily flew inside. Indeed, it was a case of: "Though small in strength and stature, with time and practice, I can soar." As he flew, he looked around and eventually entered the main hall, where he saw the old monster sitting restlessly. At that moment, a little monster came running from behind, excitedly saying, “Great King, I bring you great news!”
The old monster, curious, asked, “What news?” The little monster replied, “I heard someone crying outside the back door, and when I looked up, it was Pigsy, Sun Wukong, and Sandy mourning at a grave, as if they had buried Tang Seng’s head there.” Wukong, listening in secret, felt overjoyed: “If they are still crying, it means my Master hasn’t been eaten yet!”
Thus, Wukong decided to investigate further to clarify his Master’s situation. He flew into the main hall, noticed a small door tightly shut, and slipped through the crack, discovering a large garden inside, where he vaguely heard sounds of sorrow. Flying in, he saw two people tied under a large tree, one of whom was Tang Seng! Wukong felt a surge of excitement and couldn’t help but reveal his true form, shouting, “Master!”
Tang Seng, upon hearing this, burst into tears: “Wukong, you’ve come? Quickly save me! Wukong!” Wukong hurriedly said, “Master, don’t just call for me; there are people nearby, and we must be cautious. As long as you’re alive, I can save you. That monster only said he would eat you and brought a fake head to trick me; we need to deal with him properly. Don’t worry, once I take care of that monster, I’ll come to rescue you!”
Feeling anxious, the Great Sage muttered a spell, transformed back into an ant, and slipped back into the main hall, where he perched on a beam. He saw the little monsters gathered together, chattering excitedly. Suddenly, one little monster jumped out and exclaimed, “Great King, I have wonderful news!”
The old monster asked curiously, “What news?” The little monster replied, “They saw the door was blocked and couldn’t open it, so they gave up on Tang Seng, making a grave for the fake head. They’ll cry all day today, cry again tomorrow, and cry for three days after that; once they disperse, we can take Tang Seng out, chop him up, and cook him so everyone can have a piece and live long!”
Another little monster clapped in agreement, “Yes, steaming him would be best!” Yet another added, “Cooking him saves firewood!” The last little monster said, “He’s a rare find; pickling him would keep him for a long time.” Wukong, listening from the beam, was filled with rage: “What deep enmity does my Master have with you that you want to eat him!”
Resolving himself, he plucked a hair, chewed it up, and gently blew it towards the little monsters, muttering a spell to transform it into a sleep bug, throwing it at their faces. One by one, the little monsters crawled into their noses and gradually fell asleep. Only the old monster was still awake, rubbing his head and sneezing. Wukong felt a surge of tension: “Will this guy notice? Let’s give him a taste of his own medicine!”
So, he plucked another hair, transformed it into a bug, and tossed it onto the old monster’s face, with the two bugs crawling into his nostrils. The old monster drowsily woke up, stretched, yawned twice, and finally fell into a deep sleep. Wukong was overjoyed, quickly jumped down, revealed his true form, took out his staff, and struck the nearby door, breaking it open and rushing into the back garden, shouting, “Master!”
Tang Seng called out urgently, “Disciple, quickly untie me; these ropes are unbearable!” Wukong replied, “Master, don’t worry; wait until I kill the monster and then I’ll help you!” He hurried back to the main hall, ready to strike the monster, but suddenly stopped: “No, I should untie my Master first.” So, he returned to the garden, thinking, “I’ll save him after taking care of the monster.”
After several back-and-forth trips, he finally jumped into the garden. Tang Seng, seeing him, felt both sorrow and joy: “Monkey, are you not hurt? Are you so happy you’re dancing?” Wukong rushed forward, untied the ropes, and helped his Master up. Just then, a person tied to a tree called out, “My lord, have mercy and save my life!” Tang Seng paused and called, “Wukong, untie that one too!”
Wukong asked, “Who is he?” Tang Seng replied, “He was captured before me; he’s a woodcutter. I heard his mother is elderly and worried about him; he truly is a filial son.” Wukong followed his instructions, untied the woodcutter, and took him along. They passed a rocky cliff and crossed a steep ravine. Tang Seng gratefully said, “Good disciple, I truly owe my life to you! Where are Wuneng and Wujing?” Wukong answered, “They are over there crying for you; call them.”
Tang Seng shouted loudly, "Pigsy! Pigsy!" The foolish one, crying in a daze, wiped his nose and tears, saying, "Sandy, Master has returned! Quickly call us!" Wukong stepped forward and scolded, "Fool! What are you showing your spirit for? Isn’t this our Master?" Sandy looked up and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Master, how much suffering have you endured! How did my brother save you?"
Wukong recounted the events, and upon hearing this, Pigsy gritted his teeth in anger, unable to restrain himself from lifting his rake and smashing the grave, digging up the fake head and smashing it to pieces. Tang Seng asked, "Why are you smashing it?" Pigsy replied, "Master, I didn’t know who he was; I just cried when I saw you crying!" Tang Seng said, "He saved my life. You all attacked his door thinking he would trick me; otherwise, I would have been killed long ago. Burying him shows our intentions as monks."
Upon hearing this, Pigsy buried the mangled remains, making a grave. Wukong smiled and said, "Master, please wait a moment while I go eliminate the monster." After saying this, he jumped down the rocky cliff, crossed the ravine, and retrieved the ropes that had bound Tang Seng and the woodcutter. The old monster was still asleep, and Wukong bound him tightly before holding his golden staff and heading straight out the back door.
Pigsy saw this from a distance and exclaimed, "Brother, why do this? Why not find a son to carry him instead?" Wukong approached and set the monster down, but Pigsy raised his rake to smash it. Wukong said, "Wait! There are still little monsters in the cave." Pigsy, anxious, replied, "Brother, take me in to fight them!" Wukong said, "Fighting is exhausting; it's better to gather some firewood and cut off their roots."
The woodcutter, hearing this, immediately led Pigsy to the east hollow, where they found some broken bamboo, fallen pine leaves, hollow willows, and dry mulberry, and they carried a pile back through the back door. Wukong lit a fire, and Pigsy fanned the flames. The Great Sage jumped up, shook himself, and collected the hairs of the sleep bugs. The little monsters woke up to smoke and flames, truly pitiful! None could escape, and even the cave was burned to the ground.
At that moment, Tang Seng heard the old monster waking up and calling, "Disciple, the monster is awake!" Pigsy rushed forward and struck the old monster with his rake, killing him and revealing his true form, which turned out to be a leopard spirit with a patchy coat!
Wukong shook his head and said, "This patchy leopard spirit could eat tigers and could even transform into a human. Killing him truly eliminates future troubles!" Tang Seng was incredibly grateful, repeatedly thanking him, and then prepared to mount his horse. The woodcutter said, "Master, if you head southwest, my home is not far. You can visit my mother and personally thank you for saving my life, and I can send you on your way." Hearing this, Tang Seng felt overjoyed and gladly agreed, setting off with the woodcutter and the other disciples toward the southwest.
Not long after, the scenery became beautiful: the stone path was covered in green moss, and the gate was adorned with climbing vines. The surrounding mountains were picturesque, and birds chirped joyfully in the woods. Thick pine trees intertwined, and exotic flowers vied to bloom. In this tranquil place, they saw an old woman in the distance, leaning against the gate, tears streaming down her face as she cried. The woodcutter, seeing this, became anxious and immediately ran to his mother, kneeling and calling out, "Mother, your son has returned!"
The old woman hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face, and said, "My son! You haven't returned for several days, and I thought you had been captured by the mountain lord and lost your life. I was so worried. Why did you come back only today? Where are your ropes and axe?" The woodcutter quickly bowed his head and replied, "Mother, I was captured by the mountain lord and tied to a tree; I truly escaped death thanks to these gentlemen! This one is a monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East who went west to seek scriptures; he was also captured by the mountain lord. Fortunately, his disciples are powerful and killed the mountain lord, rescuing me and my master. It’s a tremendous favor!"
Upon hearing this, the old woman was deeply moved and repeatedly thanked them, leading her son and Tang Seng's group through the gate. Once seated, the mother and son continued to bow in gratitude, busy preparing a vegetarian meal to entertain them. Pigsy smiled and said, "Brother Woodcutter, I didn’t bring anything good to share, just some simple food will do; no need to go to great lengths." The woodcutter replied, "To be honest, my mountain home is quite humble, with not much to offer—just a few wild vegetables, but it’s the thought that counts."
Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately cheered, "Then hurry up! Don’t dawdle; we’re really hungry!" The woodcutter quickly agreed, "I’ll be right back!" Indeed, before long, several plates of wild vegetables were placed on the table. Though simple, they looked quite appetizing. There were tender blanched daylilies, sour white radishes, and various wild greens, all colorful and fragrant, truly whetting the appetite.
After the master and disciples had a hearty meal, they packed their belongings and prepared to leave. The woodcutter didn’t dare to linger, calling his mother out to thank them once more. While bowing, he picked up a jujube wood stick, tidied his clothes, and saw them off. Sandy led the horse, Pigsy carried the load, and Wukong followed closely behind. Tang Seng, on horseback, clasped his hands and said, "Brother Woodcutter, please lead the way; we’ll bid farewell once we reach the main road."
They all walked down hills and across ravines. On horseback, Tang Seng pondered, "Disciples, since leaving my master, I have traveled through mountains and rivers, facing constant disasters, with monsters rampant, and my life truly at risk. My heart is only set on the scriptures, constantly yearning to reach the heavens. When will my hard work end, and when can I return to the Tang Dynasty?"
The woodcutter, hearing this, quickly comforted him, "Master, don’t worry. This main road leads westward for nearly a thousand miles to the land of bliss in the country of Tianzhu." Upon hearing this, Tang Seng felt a surge of joy, immediately dismounting and saying, "Thank you for guiding me from afar. Since it’s a main road, please return and convey my regards to your mother, thanking her for her generous hospitality. I will recite scriptures for you, praying for the safety and longevity of you and your mother."
The woodcutter repeatedly agreed, then took his leave to return home. The master and disciples continued their journey westward. It was indeed a time of subduing monsters, resolving grievances, and leaving behind suffering, as they set out with gratitude. As for how many more days it would take them to reach the western paradise, everyone will have to patiently wait for the next installment!
