Sun Wukong was suffering from the tightening spell, which was giving him a terrible headache. He had no choice but to plead with Tang Sanzang, "Master, please stop chanting! Let me think of a way to save him!" Tang Sanzang asked, "What do you plan to do?" Wukong replied, "I need to go to the underworld to check which King of Hell has his soul and ask them to release it." At this point, Zhu Bajie chimed in, "Master, don't believe him! He said earlier that he didn't need to go to the underworld and could fix it here, just to show off his skills." Hearing this, Tang Sanzang started chanting the spell again, and Wukong quickly begged for mercy, "I'll fix it here! I'll fix it here!" Meanwhile, Bajie egged him on, "Don't stop! Keep chanting!" Wukong, getting desperate, cursed, "You stupid pig, how dare you encourage Master to chant!" Bajie laughed so hard he almost fell over, "Brother, you always make fun of me, but now it's my turn to get back at you!"
Wukong, feeling helpless, said, "Master, please stop chanting, I'll fix it here." Tang Sanzang curiously asked, "How will you fix it here?" Wukong replied, "I'll somersault to the Southern Gate of Heaven, go straight to the Trayastrimsa Heaven, to the Tusita Palace, and ask the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord for a Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill to save him." Tang Sanzang, delighted, said, "Then hurry and come back quickly." Wukong replied, "It's already midnight. By the time I return, it will be dawn. But this person lying here cold and lonely doesn't look right; we need someone to mourn properly." Bajie, hearing this, thought to himself, "This monkey is definitely going to make me do it." Wukong said, "You'd better cry! If you don't cry, I can't save him!" Bajie said, "Brother, you go ahead, I can cry on my own." Wukong said, "There are different ways to cry: just shouting isn't enough, you need to shed tears for it to be real mourning." Bajie said, "Let me show you how I cry." With that, he found a piece of paper, stuffed it into his nose, sneezed a few times, and tears and snot flowed, making it look like someone had really died. Tang Sanzang, seeing this, couldn't help but shed tears. Wukong laughed, "That's the kind of mourning I need, don't stop. You fool, if you trick me and stop crying after I leave, I'll know! If you don't cry enough, I'll give you twenty lashes!" Bajie laughed, "Go ahead, I can cry for two days straight." Seeing this, Sha Wujing went to burn some incense, and Wukong laughed, "Great! With everyone's respect, I can do my job well."
With that, Wukong, in the middle of the night, bid farewell to his master and brothers, soared into the sky, and headed straight for the Southern Gate of Heaven. True to his word, he didn't go to the Hall of Miraculous Mist, nor to the Dou Niu Palace, but flew directly to the Trayastrimsa Heaven, to the Tusita Palace. Upon entering, he saw the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord in the alchemy room, fanning the fire with his immortal children to refine pills. Seeing Wukong, the Elderly Lord instructed the children, "Be careful, the pill-stealing monkey is here again." Wukong bowed and laughed, "Old Man, don't be so guarded. I'm not here to steal this time." The Elderly Lord said, "You monkey, five hundred years ago you caused havoc in Heaven, ate many of my elixirs, got caught by Erlang Shen, and I had to burn a lot of charcoal to refine you for forty-nine days. Now you're a Buddhist, escorting Tang Sanzang to the West for scriptures. You didn't return my treasures on Flat Top Mountain, and now you're here again, what for?" Wukong said, "I returned your five treasures long ago, why still doubt me?" The Elderly Lord said, "Why sneak into my palace if you're not up to something?" Wukong said, "Since we parted, I've been to a place called the Kingdom of Wuji. The king there was harmed by a demon disguised as a Taoist priest, who took his place on the throne. My master was reading scriptures in Baolin Temple when the king's ghost came to him, asking for help to defeat the demon and restore justice. I, along with Bajie, found the king's body at the bottom of an octagonal crystal well, his appearance unchanged. Master, moved by compassion, ordered me to save him but forbade me from going to the underworld for his soul, insisting I find a way here. I couldn't think of anything else, so I came to you, hoping you'd lend me a thousand Nine-Turn Resurrection Pills to save him." The Elderly Lord said, "You monkey! What nonsense! A thousand pills, two thousand pills, do you think they're as easy to come by as dirt? Get out! I don't have any!" Wukong laughed, "A hundred or so will do." The Elderly Lord said, "I don't have any." Wukong said, "Even ten will do." The Elderly Lord, getting angry, said, "You annoying monkey! No, no, no! Get out, get out!"
Sun Wukong laughed and said, "If there's really none, then I'll go elsewhere to find a solution." The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord shouted, "Go! Go! Go!" Wukong turned to leave. Suddenly, the Elderly Lord thought, "This monkey is cunning. If he leaves so easily, he might be sneaking around to steal something." So he ordered the celestial child to call Wukong back and said, "You monkey, with your sticky fingers, I'll give you a Resurrection Pill." Wukong replied, "Old Man, since you know my ways, quickly bring out the elixir and give me a fair share. This is your good fortune; otherwise, I'll clean you out like a sieve." The Elderly Lord took a gourd, poured out one elixir, and handed it to Wukong, saying, "There's only this one left. Take it, take it! Giving you this one pill to save the emperor counts as your merit."
Sun Wukong accepted the pill but was still wary. He wanted to taste it to ensure it was genuine and not a trick by the Elderly Lord. So, he pretended to toss the pill into his mouth, which frightened the Elderly Lord. He rushed forward, grabbed Wukong's head, and waved his fist, scolding, "If you dare swallow it, I'll beat you to death!" Wukong laughed, "Look at you, so stingy! Who's eager to eat your pill? What's it worth? Not much more than this, right?" It turned out that Wukong had a pouch under his chin where he hid the pill. Seeing this, the Elderly Lord had no choice but to let go, saying, "Go, go, don't bother me again." Only then did Wukong thank the Elderly Lord and leave the Tusita Palace.
See him now, leaving the jade palace amidst a thousand auspicious clouds, descending to the mortal world on ten thousand rays of light. In no time, he was out of the Southern Gate of Heaven, returning to the Eastern Observation, with the sun already rising. He descended from the clouds and went straight to the gate of Baolin Temple, where he heard Zhu Bajie still crying from afar. Wukong approached and called out, "Master!" Tang Sanzang, hearing this, was delighted and asked, "Wukong, have you got the pill?" Wukong replied, "I have." Bajie interjected, "Of course he has! Even if he had to steal it, he'd get some!" Wukong laughed, "Brother, you can stop now. No need to cry anymore; wipe your tears and go cry elsewhere." Then he told Sha Wujing, "Quickly, get some water." Sha Wujing hurriedly drew half a bowl of water from the well and handed it to Wukong. Wukong took the water, spat out the pill from his mouth, placed it on the emperor's lips, pried open his teeth, and used the water to wash the elixir into the emperor's stomach.
After half an hour, they heard a rumbling sound from the emperor's stomach, but his body remained motionless. Wukong said, "Master, even my elixir can't revive him. Are you going to scold me to death?" Tang Sanzang replied, "How could it not work? This body has been dead for so long, how could it swallow water? This is the power of the elixir. The elixir entering the stomach causes the intestines to rumble, indicating blood circulation, but the breath cannot return. Even if a body has been soaking in a well for three years, it would rust like iron. The vital energy is completely depleted; he needs someone to breathe life into him."
Zhu Bajie quickly stepped forward to breathe life into the emperor, but Tang Sanzang stopped him, saying, "No! Let Wukong do it." The reason being, Zhu Bajie had committed many killings and sins since childhood, consuming impure energy, while Wukong had cultivated since childhood, consuming pine nuts and peaches, which were pure energy. So, Wukong stepped forward, pressed his mouth to the emperor's lips, and exhaled a breath of pure energy directly into the emperor's throat, passing through the many barriers, reaching the dantian, and then returning to the mud pill palace. With a "whoosh," the emperor's energy gathered, his spirit returned, and he awoke, moving his arms and legs, exclaiming, "Master!" He knelt and said, "I remember my ghost visited last night, how is it that today at dawn my spirit returns to the living?" Tang Sanzang hurriedly helped him up, saying, "Your Majesty, this is not my achievement. You should thank my disciple." Wukong laughed, "Master, what are you saying? As the saying goes, 'A family cannot have two masters.' Accepting his bow does you no harm." Embarrassed, Tang Sanzang helped the emperor up, and together they entered the meditation hall. After greeting Bajie, Wukong, and Sha Wujing, they sat down.
At this time, the monks in the temple were preparing breakfast to offer. Suddenly, seeing the emperor in wet clothes, everyone was shocked and started whispering. Sun Wukong jumped out and said, "Monks, don't be surprised. This is the true king of the Kingdom of Wuji, your rightful lord. Three years ago, he was harmed by a demon, and I saved him last night. Now we need to go to the city to distinguish between good and evil. If you have breakfast, please serve it, and we'll leave after eating." The monks quickly brought soup and water, washed the emperor's face, and changed his clothes, taking off his yellow robe. The temple officials dressed him in two plain cloth robes, removed the blue jade belt, tied it with a yellow silk sash, and changed his shoes to old monk's shoes. After finishing breakfast, they prepared to set off.
Wukong asked, "Bajie, how heavy is your luggage?" Bajie replied, "Brother, I've been carrying this luggage every day, but I don't know how heavy it is." Wukong said, "Divide the luggage into two loads, you carry one, and let the emperor carry the other. Let's hurry to the city to handle matters." Bajie happily said, "What luck! What luck! Back then, I didn't know how much effort it took to carry him here; now that he's alive, he turns out to be a substitute." So, Bajie divided the luggage, borrowed a shoulder pole from the temple, carried the lighter load himself, and let the emperor carry the heavier one. Wukong laughed, "Your Majesty, dressed like this, carrying a load, walking with us—does it not wrong you?" The king quickly knelt and said, "Master, you are my savior. Not only am I willing to carry the load, but I also wish to serve you on the journey to the West." Wukong said, "No need for you to go to the West. I have a reason. You only need to carry the load for forty miles into the city, capture the demon, then you can resume being the emperor, and we'll continue our journey for scriptures." Bajie, hearing this, said, "So he only carries for forty miles, and I, the old pig, am still the long-term laborer!" Wukong said, "Brother, stop joking around. Lead the way quickly." So, Bajie led the emperor in front, Sha Wujing helped Tang Sanzang onto the White Dragon Horse, Wukong followed behind, and the five hundred monks from the temple, in neat formation, played music to send them off at the mountain gate.
Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Monks, there's no need to see us off too far. If the authorities find out, it might not be good for me if word gets out. Quickly, go back! Go back! Arrange the emperor's clothes and crown properly, and bring them to the city tonight or tomorrow morning. I will reward you." The monks obeyed and returned to the temple. Wukong caught up with Tang Sanzang and continued on their way.
Tang Sanzang and his disciples traveled onward and, in less than half a day, saw the city of the Kingdom of Wuji. Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, the city ahead should be the Kingdom of Wuji." Wukong replied, "That's right, let's hurry into the city to handle our business."
As they entered the city, they saw bustling streets filled with people, vibrant and lively. Moving further, they saw the grand and imposing buildings of the palace. Tang Sanzang dismounted and said, "Disciples, let's go directly to the palace to exchange the travel documents, avoiding the hassle of going to the government office." Wukong agreed, "You're right. Let's all go in; it's easier to speak with more people." Tang Sanzang reminded, "Once inside, don't misbehave. First, observe the proper etiquette, then discuss other matters."
Wukong mischievously said, "Observing the proper etiquette means bowing down." Tang Sanzang nodded, "Yes, you must perform the ceremony of five prostrations and three kowtows." Wukong laughed, "Master, that's not appropriate. If we bow to him, wouldn't that be foolish? Let me go in first; I have my ways. If he speaks, I'll respond. If I bow, you bow; if I squat, you squat."
With that, the troublemaking Monkey King led everyone to the palace gate and said to the gatekeeper, "We are envoys from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, traveling to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures. We are here to exchange travel documents. Please inform the officials." The gatekeeper hurried into the palace to report, "Outside the palace gate are five monks claiming to be envoys from the Tang Dynasty of the Eastern Land, traveling to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and obtain scriptures. They have come to exchange travel documents and are waiting outside, not daring to enter without permission."
Upon hearing this, the demon king immediately ordered them to be summoned. Tang Sanzang and his group entered the palace gate, with the king following behind. Along the way, the king couldn't help but shed tears, thinking to himself, "Alas, my kingdom and country have been usurped by him!" Wukong comforted him, "Your Majesty, don't be sad, lest the news leaks. My Golden-Hooped Rod is eager to strike, and I will surely defeat the demon, eliminate the evil, and soon the kingdom will be yours again."
The king nodded in agreement, wiped away his tears, and gathered his courage as they approached the imperial hall. There, they saw rows of civil and military officials, each dignified and imposing. Wukong led Tang Sanzang to stand before the white jade steps, standing tall and unmoving. The officials below were all shocked and murmured, "These monks are bold! They don't bow to our king or greet him, how rude!"
As they spoke, the demon king asked, "Where do these monks come from?" Wukong proudly replied, "I am an envoy from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, traveling to the Great Thunderclap Monastery in the Western Region to worship Buddha and obtain scriptures. We are here to exchange travel documents." The demon king, displeased, said, "What of your Eastern Land! I do not pay tribute to your court, why do you not bow when you see me?"
Wukong laughed, "The Eastern Land has always been the Celestial Empire, and you are a frontier state. Historically, the emperor of the superior state is the father and ruler, while the emperor of the inferior state is the minister and son. You have not received me, yet you dare to accuse me of not bowing?" The demon king, enraged, ordered his civil and military officials, "Seize these wild monks!" With that, the officials moved in unison. Wukong shouted, "Stop!" and used his immobilization spell, rendering the officials motionless like puppets and clay figures.
Seeing this, the demon king hurriedly jumped off the dragon throne, ready to fight. Wukong was secretly delighted, "Good! Just as I wished, this blow will surely make a hole!" Just as he was about to strike, a savior appeared. Can you guess who it was? It was the crown prince of the Kingdom of Wuji. He hurriedly pulled the demon king's sleeve and knelt, saying, "Father, calm your anger."
The demon asked, "What are you saying?" The crown prince replied, "Father, three years ago, I heard that an envoy monk from the Tang Dynasty of the Eastern Land was traveling to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and obtain scriptures. I never expected him to arrive in our land today. Father, if you execute this monk, the Great Tang will surely be enraged upon hearing of it. Emperor Taizong of Tang has unified the land and is not yet satisfied, having once crossed the sea to conquer. If he learns that you have harmed his imperial monk, he will surely launch an attack. At that time, with few soldiers and weak generals, it will be too late to regret. I implore you, Father, to listen to my advice and first investigate the origins of these four monks before making a decision."
The crown prince, being meticulous and cautious, was afraid that Tang Sanzang might be harmed, so he deliberately stalled the demon. However, he didn't know that Sun Wukong had already planned to deal with the demon. The demon king believed the prince's words and stood in front of the dragon throne, shouting, "Monk, when did you leave the Eastern Land? Why did the Tang Emperor send you to retrieve the scriptures?" Wukong raised his head and replied, "My master is the imperial brother of the Tang Emperor, with the Dharma name Sanzang. Because there was a chancellor under the Tang Emperor named Wei Zheng who, by divine mandate, executed the old dragon of Jing River. After the Tang Emperor's soul returned from the underworld, he revived and held a grand ceremony to offer salvation to the souls of the deceased. My master, while preaching, was guided by the Bodhisattva Guanyin to go to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures."
Wukong continued, "My master made a great vow to serve the nation, and the Tang Emperor granted him travel documents. That was in the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era, three days before the full moon in September. We left the Eastern Land, first arriving at Two Boundary Mountain where I became the first disciple. Then we reached Gao Village in the Usi Kingdom where we took in the second disciple, Zhu Bajie, and later at the Flowing Sand River, we took in the third disciple, Sha Wujing. A few days ago, we took in a young Taoist to carry our luggage at Baolin Temple." After hearing this, the demon king, seeking a flaw, angrily asked, "You left the Eastern Land alone, so how do you now have four disciples? That young Taoist must have been kidnapped by you. What's his name? Does he have a certificate? Bring him up for questioning!"
This frightened the king, who began to tremble, "Master, how should I answer?" Wukong pinched him lightly and reassured him, "Don't be afraid, I'll answer for you." Wukong stepped forward and loudly addressed the demon king, "Your Majesty, this old Taoist is mute and somewhat deaf. He traveled to the Western Heaven in his youth and knows the way. I know his background, please forgive him, and allow me to explain." The demon king said, "Speak the truth quickly, lest you be punished."
Wukong began to weave a tale, "This servant is old, deaf, and mute, and his family is impoverished. Five years ago, during a drought when people were starving, a demon came to harm him by pushing him into a well. Fortunately, I saved him, and he came back to life, willing to follow us to the Western Heaven. The demon turned into a king, but he is the true king." The demon king, hearing this, turned pale with fear and tried to slip away, but he had no weapon. He saw a general of the hall, drew his precious sword, and fled on a cloud.
Sha Wujing was furious like thunder, and Zhu Bajie complained loudly, "Wukong, why didn't you speak slower to keep him here? Now that he's escaped, where will we find him?" Wukong laughed, "Brothers, don't shout. Let the prince bow to his father, the queen to her husband. I'll release the immobilization spell, let the civil and military officials bow to the true emperor, explain the past events, and then I'll go after him." With that, he disappeared.
Wukong leaped into the sky, looked around, and saw the demon king fleeing to the northeast. Wukong chased after him, shouting, "Demon, where are you running to? Here comes old Sun!" The demon king turned back, drew his precious sword, and shouted, "Sun Wukong, why do you meddle in others' affairs? What does it matter to you if I take the throne?" Wukong laughed, "Audacious demon! How dare you claim the throne and trouble my master? Take this strike!"
The two engaged in battle, sword against staff, fighting fiercely. After several rounds, the demon king couldn't withstand Wukong and hurriedly fled back to the city, blending in with the civil and military officials, transforming into the likeness of Tang Sanzang, and stood at the steps. When Wukong arrived, ready to strike, both Tang Sanzangs shouted, "Disciple, don't hit, it's me!" Wukong thought, "It would be fine if I struck the demon disguised as my master, but what if I accidentally hit the real master?" So he paused and asked Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing to identify, "Which one is the demon, and which is my master?"
Zhu Bajie said, "While you were fighting, I blinked and saw two masters, but I can't tell which is real and which is fake." Hearing this, Wukong recited an incantation and summoned the guardian deities, "I, Sun Wukong, am subduing a demon that has transformed into my master, making it hard to distinguish. I ask the gods to secretly guide me so I can capture the demon." The demon, adept at cloud-riding, heard Wukong's words and quickly jumped onto the imperial throne. Wukong raised his staff to strike Tang Sanzang, but fortunately, the deities held back the iron rod, or else the real master would have been in trouble.
Wukong rushed to the hall, but the demon jumped down, pulling Tang Sanzang into the crowd, making it still difficult to distinguish.
Wukong was frustrated, seeing Zhu Bajie smirking nearby, which made him even more furious, "You fool, what are you laughing at? Now there are two masters, you'll be busy serving them both, enjoying yourself!" Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, you call me foolish, but you're even more foolish! Since we can't tell which is the master, why bother? Let's have the master recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. Sha Wujing and I will each hold one; the one who can't recite it is the demon, simple, right?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong clapped his hands in approval, "Brother, you're really clever! Only three people know the Tight-Fillet Spell: it was passed from the Buddha to the Bodhisattva Guanyin, and then from the Bodhisattva to my master. No one else knows it. Master, please recite it." Tang Sanzang began to chant the spell, while the demon king, unable to recite it, could only hum incoherently. Zhu Bajie listened and laughed, "The one humming must be the demon!"
Zhu Bajie let go and raised his rake to strike, but the demon king quickly leaped up and fled on a cloud. Zhu Bajie, not to be outdone, shouted and followed on a cloud, while Sha Wujing, seeing this, dropped Tang Sanzang and took out his treasure staff to join the fight. Tang Sanzang then stopped chanting. Sun Wukong, enduring his headache, picked up his iron staff and joined the chase. This time, the three monks surrounded the demon, engaging in a fierce battle. The demon king was caught between Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, while Sun Wukong laughed from above, "I should jump higher and deliver a fatal blow!"
Just as Sun Wukong was about to strike, he heard a voice from the northeast, "Sun Wukong, hold your hand!" Turning to look, he saw it was the Bodhisattva Manjushri. Quickly, he put away his staff and approached to pay respects, "Bodhisattva, where are you headed?" Manjushri replied, "I've come to take care of this demon for you." Sun Wukong thanked him, and the Bodhisattva took out a demon-revealing mirror from his sleeve, revealing the demon's true form. Sun Wukong called Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing over to see, and it turned out the demon king was Manjushri's mount, the Blue-Haired Lion.
Sun Wukong asked, "Bodhisattva, how did this lion run off and become a spirit? Why didn't you keep it in check?" The Bodhisattva explained, "Wukong, it didn't run off on its own; it was sent on a mission by the Buddha's decree." Wukong was puzzled, "This demon became a spirit, seized the throne, and you say it was by the Buddha's decree? If I, protecting Tang Sanzang, had to endure hardships, shouldn't I have received some decrees too?" The Bodhisattva said, "You don't know the whole story. The king of Wuji Kingdom was fond of doing good deeds and offering alms to monks. I came by the Buddha's decree to enlighten him to become a Buddha, but he didn't appreciate it and tied me up, throwing me into the river for three days. Later, the Buddha sent this demon to push him into a well for three years to repay the grievance of my being soaked."
Wukong, still dissatisfied, said, "You avenged your personal grievance, but who knows how many people this demon has harmed." The Bodhisattva replied, "He hasn't harmed anyone. In these three years, the weather has been favorable, and the country has been peaceful." Wukong retorted, "But the three queens shared a bed with him, disrupting social ethics. How can you say he hasn't harmed anyone?" The Bodhisattva laughed, "He's just a deceived lion; he can't corrupt people."
Zhu Bajie came over and gave the demon a pat, laughing, "This demon really doesn't live up to its name." Wukong said, "In that case, Bodhisattva, please take him back. If you hadn't come personally, I wouldn't have spared him." The Bodhisattva chanted an incantation and commanded, "Beast, if you don't return to righteousness now, when will you?" The demon king revealed his true form and was covered by the Bodhisattva with a lotus flower, who then sat on its back and, riding on a cloud, bid farewell to Wukong and returned to Mount Wutai to listen to the scriptures.
As for how Tang Sanzang and his disciples left the city, that is a story for another time. Stay tuned for the next installment.
