Once upon a time, Sun Wukong, along with Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng, bid farewell to Old Chen and made their way to the riverbank. Wukong slapped his head and asked, “Brothers, who’s going to jump into the water first?” Bajie shrugged helplessly, “Brother, my hands aren’t much use, so you go first!” Wukong shook his head, “To be honest, if it were those mountain monsters, I could handle them alone. But when it comes to water, I can’t just dive in. I’d need to use my water-avoiding technique and transform into a fish or crab to swim. If I do that, my iron staff won’t be usable, and I won’t be able to use my magic to fight off any monsters. That’s why I want you two to go in first.”
Sha Seng thought for a moment and said, “Brother, I can swim, but we don’t know what’s under there. Let’s go together. You can change your form, I’ll carry you, and we’ll paddle through the water to find the monster’s lair. You go in first to scout it out. If Master is okay, we’ll deal with the monster; if not, let’s not linger and find a way to escape.” Wukong nodded, “You’re right, but who’s going to carry me?” Bajie chuckled to himself, “This monkey can’t swim, so it’s perfect for me to carry him. I can have some fun with him this time!” Sha Seng smiled and said, “Brother, I’ll carry you.” Wukong understood but played along, “Alright, you’re stronger than Wujing.” So, Bajie carried Wukong on his back, and Sha Seng paddled through the water as the brothers dived into the Tongtian River.
They swam underwater for about a hundred miles. Bajie, wanting to tease Wukong, plucked a hair, transformed it into a fake body, and lay on Bajie’s back. Meanwhile, Wukong turned into a pig louse and stuck close to Bajie’s ear. As Bajie walked, he suddenly stumbled, causing Wukong to fall off with a splash. The fake body, made from hair, floated up and disappeared. Seeing this, Sha Seng panicked, “Second Brother, why are you walking so unsteady? Did you fall into the mud? Where’s Big Brother?” Bajie feigned innocence, “That monkey fell and vanished, brother, forget him! Let’s hurry and find Master!” Sha Seng shook his head, “No way! He may not swim well, but he’s smarter than us. I won’t go without him.”
At that moment, Wukong couldn’t help but shout in Bajie’s ear, “Wujing! I’m right here!” Sha Seng laughed, “Forget it, this fool is really gone! How can you tease him like that? Now we can hear him but can’t see him. What should we do?” Bajie hurriedly knelt in the mud, bowing his head, “Brother, it’s my fault! Once we rescue Master and get to shore, I’ll make amends. Where are you? Show yourself! I’ll carry you, and I won’t bump into you again!” Wukong teased, “You think you’re carrying me? I won’t tease you, just go! Hurry up!” Bajie grumbled and got up to continue with Sha Seng.
After traveling another hundred miles, they suddenly looked up and spotted a pavilion with the words “Water Turtle’s Abode” written in big letters. Sha Seng frowned, “This must be the monster’s lair. How do we sneak in?” Wukong slapped his head, “Wujing, is there water inside?” Sha Seng shook his head, “No water.” Wukong was delighted, “Great! You hide nearby while I go check it out.” With that, Wukong jumped out from Bajie’s ear, transformed into a long-legged shrimp, and hopped right inside.
Once inside, he saw the monster sitting there, surrounded by water creatures serving it, and a striped fish beside it discussing how to eat Tang Seng. Wukong listened closely and suddenly noticed a big-bellied shrimp approaching, standing still in the west corridor. Wukong jumped in front of her and asked, “Ma’am, the king and everyone are planning to eat Tang Seng. Where is he?” The shrimp replied, “Tang Seng was frozen by the king’s snow and ice and placed in a stone box behind the palace yesterday. We just have to wait until tomorrow when his disciples don’t come making a fuss, and we can enjoy him.”
Wukong’s heart sank upon hearing this. He immediately searched behind the palace and found a stone box that looked like a pig trough or a coffin, about six feet long. He leaned over and listened carefully, hearing Master crying inside: “Regretting my fate in the river, how many disasters have I faced... I encountered danger in the dark river, now the ice melts, and my life returns to the spring...” Wukong couldn’t help but shout, “Master, don’t blame the water! Water is the source of the five elements; old Sun is here!”
Once upon a time, Tang Seng heard noises outside the stone box and anxiously shouted, "Disciples, hurry and save me!" Wukong, upon hearing this, immediately reassured him, "Master, don’t worry! We will definitely catch the monster and free you!" Tang Seng, in a state of urgency, replied, "Hurry up! Don’t delay! If this goes on, I’ll suffocate in here!" Wukong felt a pang of concern: "Don’t worry, I’m on my way!" With that, he turned and jumped out, calling, "Bajie!"
At that moment, Bajie and Sha Seng were standing at the door. Bajie asked, "Brother, what’s wrong?" Wukong hurriedly explained, "This monster tricked Master. He’s fine but is trapped under the stone box. You two get ready; I’ll surface first. If we can catch it, we’ll catch it; if not, pretend we lost and lure it out, then I’ll take action!" Sha Seng nodded, "Brother, don’t worry. We’ll assess the situation." Thus, Wukong used his water-avoiding technique, broke the surface, and waited on the shore.
Meanwhile, Bajie charged to the door, shouting fiercely, "Monster! Release my Master at once!" The little demons inside hurriedly reported, "Great King, someone outside is asking for the Master!" Upon hearing this, the monster immediately realized, "It must be that unruly monk! Quickly, grab your weapons!" The little demons quickly retrieved their weapons, and the monster donned its armor, ordered the door to be opened, and stepped out.
Behold, the monster was truly imposing: wearing a golden helmet, clad in golden armor, with a jeweled belt around its waist and strange boots on its feet. Its nose was prominently raised, eyes sparkling, teeth sharp, short hair billowing, long whiskers like golden spikes, and it held tender green algae in its mouth while wielding a nine-pronged bronze hammer. With a loud roar, the door swung open with a resounding bang, like the thunder of spring—a rare and mighty king indeed!
As the monster emerged, hundreds of little demons followed, brandishing spears and swords, forming a battle formation. They asked Bajie, "You’re that monk from the temple. What brings you here?" Bajie angrily replied, "I’m here to find you, the invincible monster! You argued with me last night; why are you denying it today? I’m a disciple of the holy monk from the Tang Dynasty, here specifically to seek scriptures in the West. You pretend to be some mighty king, but you’re just a monster feasting on innocent children in Chen’s village. I am a pound of gold from the Chen family; don’t you recognize me?"
The monster sneered, "You’re quite unreasonable, monk! You transformed into a pound of gold, thinking you could impersonate me. I didn’t eat you; you hurt your own hand. Now you come looking for me?" Bajie retorted, "You made it snow and froze my Master! Release him, and we’ll call it even! If you don’t comply, I’ll use my spade to deal with you!" The monster smiled slightly, "You really have no filter, monk. It was indeed me who caused the river to freeze and captured your Master. If you want to negotiate today, it won’t be that simple! Back then, I was unarmed, which is why you hurt me. Now, you won’t escape; let’s have a three-round match. If you win, I’ll return your Master; if you lose, you’ll suffer too!"
Upon hearing this, Bajie felt secretly pleased: "This is exactly what I wanted! Watch my spade closely!" The monster said, "So you’re a monk who took up the path halfway." Bajie was surprised, "How did you know I’m a halfway monk?" The monster replied, "You can wield a spade; you must have been working outside." Bajie, unwilling to back down, declared, "This spade is no ordinary spade! Look at it; it resembles a dragon’s claw, incredibly powerful, able to exorcise demons alongside the holy monk, capturing monsters on the western road, making them tremble in fear!"
The monster didn’t believe it and swung the bronze hammer down at Bajie. Bajie quickly blocked it with his spade, taunting, "You brute, turns out you’re just another half-baked monster!" The monster was taken aback and asked, "How do you know I’m half-baked?" Bajie replied proudly, "You can wield a hammer; you must have learned it from a silversmith!" The monster, unwilling to back down, shot back, "This isn’t just any hammer; it’s a nine-petal flower bud, forged from the mythical green jade, straight from the fairy garden! I’ve refined it; it’s as strong as steel—no one can compare!"
At that moment, Sha Seng couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, "Monster, stop bragging! As the ancients say, words without proof are meaningless; actions count! Come, taste my staff!" The monster blocked it and retorted, "You’re also a halfway monk, aren’t you?" Sha Seng countered, "How do you know?" The monster replied, "You look like a clumsy scholar." Hearing this, Sha Seng got angry: "You little rascal, haven’t you seen the world? My precious staff is made from the elusive sorrel wood of the Moon Palace, inlaid with jewels and filled with auspicious energy!"
The monster felt a pang of unease at this and thus the three engaged in a fierce battle underwater. The bronze hammer, precious staff, and spade clashed, creating a spectacular scene with splashes everywhere—it was truly lively! Bajie and Sha Seng attacked the monster together, their momentum overwhelming, but the monster wasn’t willing to back down either. After two hours of fighting, none of them could gain the upper hand.
Bajie realized that if this continued, they wouldn’t succeed. He signaled to Sha Seng, and they pretended to lose, dragging their weapons as they began to retreat. The monster saw this and immediately shouted to the little demons, "Quick, follow them and catch them!" As a result, Bajie and Sha Seng darted out of the water like leaves in the wind.
At that moment, Wukong watched from the shore and thought to himself, "This monster is truly formidable in the water!" Bajie and Sha Seng jumped onto the shore excitedly, shouting, "Here they come! Here they come!" The monster also emerged from the water, but just as it poked its head up, Wukong shouted, "Look out for my staff!" The monster was startled and quickly dodged, but Wukong struck it with his staff, leaving it dazed and causing it to fall back into the water.
Wukong turned to his brothers and said, "You’ve worked hard!" Sha Seng frowned and said, "Brother, this monster is really powerful in the water. We fought to a standstill; how can we save Master?" Wukong thought for a moment and decided, "Don’t worry, wait for me to lure it out, and you two prepare on the shore!" Bajie excitedly added, "I’ll coax it out, and you guys wait in the air. As soon as it shows its head, give it a strike—I guarantee it’ll hurt!"
Wukong nodded, "Right, that’s called a coordinated attack; it’ll definitely work!" With that, the two submerged again, preparing for the next round of wits and courage.
The monster hurried back home, still trembling, and quickly reported to the other demons. Upon seeing him return, Guipo immediately asked, "Great King, what happened to those two monks?" The monster gasped for breath and said, "They’re not simple at all. That monk has a helper, and while I was fighting them in the water, that helper hit me with an iron rod before I could even defend myself. It was really terrible!" Guipo shivered at this and replied, "Great King, you were wise to escape with your life! That helper is no ordinary foe; he is the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who caused havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago! You must not provoke him again!"
Just then, the little demons rushed in with news: "Great King, those two monks are back!" Upon hearing this, the monster immediately ordered, "Don’t open the door; let them shout outside!" So, the demons worked together to secure the door tightly. Bajie and Sha Seng were outside, urgently calling out. Bajie slammed the door with his spade, but it remained firmly shut, reinforced with mud and stones.
Seeing this, Sha Seng suggested, "Second Brother, this monster is too scared. Why don’t we go back and discuss a plan with Big Brother?" Bajie nodded, and the two turned to head back to the east bank. Wukong was waiting by the shore and asked when he saw them, "Why aren’t you coming up?" Sha Seng replied with a frown, "That monster has locked the door tight; we can’t get in, so we came back to discuss with you."
Wukong frowned upon hearing this: "This won’t do. You two stay on the shore and keep an eye on him; don’t let him escape. I’ll go ask the Bodhisattva about this monster’s background." Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, that sounds too troublesome and a waste of time!" Wukong dismissed him, saying, "No matter what you think, I’m going!"
With that, Sun Wukong hurriedly flew to the South Sea, and after half an hour, he finally arrived at Mount Putuo. As soon as he got there, a group of immortals approached him and asked, "Great Sage, what brings you here?" Wukong replied, "I have something to ask the Bodhisattva." The immortals informed him, "The Bodhisattva is not in the cave today; she is enjoying herself in the bamboo forest. Please wait here for a moment."
Just as Wukong sat down, the boy, Shancai, came over to greet him: "Great Sage, you finally made it! I’ve heard you never leave the Bodhisattva’s side; this is wonderful!" Wukong smiled and said, "You little rascal, you were a little demon before, and now you’ve finally achieved something good. That’s impressive!"
Sun Wukong waited anxiously on Mount Putuo, unable to contain himself as he said to the heavenly beings, "Hurry up and send word! If anything happens to my master, I won’t spare you!" The immortals shook their heads helplessly, replying, "The Bodhisattva instructed us to wait here for her to come out." Hearing this, Wukong grew even more anxious, thinking, "I can’t wait any longer!" He then leaped into the dense forest.
As he walked, he kept glancing around and finally spotted the Bodhisattva in the distance. To his surprise, she was lazily sitting there, her clothes not properly arranged, peeling bamboo skin in her hands. Wukong quickly called out, "Bodhisattva, it’s me, Sun Wukong, here to pay my respects!" The Bodhisattva replied calmly, "You wait outside for now." Wukong hurriedly bowed his head, saying, "Bodhisattva, my master is in trouble; please tell me the origin of that monster!" But the Bodhisattva insisted he wait outside first.
Reluctantly, Wukong stepped back and said to the immortals, "Today the Bodhisattva is acting strangely; why isn’t she sitting on the lotus platform or dressing up and is just here peeling bamboo?" The immortals were equally puzzled and expressed their confusion. Before long, the Bodhisattva finally came out carrying a purple bamboo basket and told Wukong, "I’m here to help you rescue Tang Seng." Wukong quickly knelt down, saying, "Disciple doesn’t dare to rush; please, Bodhisattva, dress properly first!" The Bodhisattva laughed, "No need; I’ll go like this." With that, she soared into the clouds, with Wukong following closely behind.
Not far away, Bajie and Sha Seng were by the riverbank watching this scene and couldn’t help but tease, "Big Brother is really impatient; he even forced the Bodhisattva to come out!" They quickly bowed and apologized, saying, "Bodhisattva, we are guilty, guilty!" The Bodhisattva then took a silk cord from the basket, tossed it into the river, and chanted, "Those who are dead go, those who are alive stay!" After reciting it seven times, a golden fish suddenly leaped out of the basket, sparkling brightly.
The Bodhisattva told Wukong, "Quick, go into the water to save your master!" Wukong exclaimed, "But I haven’t caught that monster yet!" The Bodhisattva smiled slightly, saying, "This fish is the key." Bajie and Sha Seng curiously asked, "What abilities does this golden fish have?" The Bodhisattva explained, "It is a golden fish raised in my lotus pond, which has listened to teachings and cultivated itself, gaining spirit. That bronze hammer was also forged by it." Hearing this, Wukong’s heart stirred: "Bodhisattva, let’s call the people from Chenjia Village to see; it will give them confidence."
The Bodhisattva nodded, "Alright, you go call them." Bajie and Sha Seng immediately rushed to the village, shouting loudly, "Come see the living Avalokiteshvara!" The villagers ran over, ignoring the mud and water, and knelt by the riverbank to pay their respects. Some even hurriedly drew pictures of the Bodhisattva, creating quite a scene. Seeing this, the Bodhisattva felt satisfied and returned to the South Sea.
Bajie and Sha Seng hurriedly split the waterway and headed to the home of the water monster to find their master. Upon entering, they discovered that the water monster and the fish spirits were all rotten and dead. They then found Tang Seng in the inner palace and lifted him out of the stone box, finally reuniting with their master. The Chen brothers quickly bowed and said, "Master, we shouldn’t have advised you to stay here; it caused you to suffer." Wukong waved his hand and said, "No need to say that! Next year, don’t hold the sacrificial ceremony again; that monster has been dealt with by me and will never harm you again. Old Chen, hurry and find a boat to take us across the river!"
Chen Qing quickly agreed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" So everyone began to busy themselves with preparing the boat. The villagers offered suggestions, with some saying they would buy sails, others saying they would prepare paddles, and some offering ropes, creating quite a lively scene. Just as everyone was bustling about, a loud shout came from the river: "Don’t bother with the boat, Sun Wukong! I’ll take you across for free!" Everyone was startled at the sound, and the timid quickly ran home, while the brave cautiously approached to see what was happening.
Before long, a strange creature emerged from the water. Can you guess what it was? It had a square head and a remarkable appearance, a water spirit with nine intelligent powers. Its tail could extend life by a thousand years, hiding in rivers, jumping through waves, and crashing against the riverbanks—truly an impressive being. The old turtle said to Wukong, "Great Sage, don’t bother with the boat; I’m willing to kindly take you across." Wukong angrily waved his iron staff, "I’ll kill you, you wretched creature!" The old turtle panicked, "But I’m grateful to you for saving Tang Seng! Why would you want to hit me?"
Wukong was confused, "What favor have I done for you?" The old turtle explained, "This water turtle’s home has been passed down from my ancestors, and I have been cultivating here. One year, a tsunami came, and monsters tried to take my home, harming my children. Now you’ve helped me drive away the monsters, allowing me to restore my home; it’s a great kindness!" Hearing this, Wukong felt delighted and put away his iron staff, "So you really want to take us across?"
The old turtle quickly swore, "If I don’t take Tang Seng across the river, let me turn into blood!" Wukong laughed heartily, "Alright, come on up!" The old turtle leaped onto the riverbank, and everyone gathered around, noticing it had a four-zhang tall white shell on its back. Wukong said to his master, "Master, let’s ride on its back to cross!" Tang Seng was a bit worried, "Disciple, the ice surface is so slippery; will the turtle’s back be stable?" The old turtle quickly reassured him, "Master, don’t worry; I’m more stable than the ice, and I won’t capsize!"
Wukong shouted to everyone, "Brothers, hurry and bring the horses over!" At the riverbank, the old and young villagers from Chenjia Village came to bid them farewell. Wukong directed everyone to lead the horses onto the old turtle’s back, with Tang Seng standing on the left side of the horse's neck, Sha Seng on the right, Bajie behind the horse, and Wukong in front. Worried that the old turtle might misbehave, he tied a tiger skin rope around its nose, pulling it like reins, with one foot on the shell and the other on its head, holding the iron staff in one hand and the reins in the other, he said majestically, "Old turtle, walk slowly; if you tilt, I’ll hit you!"
The old turtle quickly replied, "I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare!" It pushed off with its four legs, gliding over the water surface as if it were solid ground. Everyone on the bank burned incense and bowed, chanting in unison, "Namo Amitabha Buddha!" This scene was truly like a real Arhat descending to the mortal realm, a living Bodhisattva appearing; everyone bowed so deeply that they couldn’t even see their shadows, feeling very pleased in their hearts.
Finally, after a day of effort, Tang Seng rode on the white turtle and traveled a full eight hundred li, safely landing on the banks of the Tongtian River. Tang Seng gratefully clasped his hands and said, "Old turtle, you’ve really worked hard. I don’t have anything good to give you, but when I return from fetching the scriptures, I’ll thank you properly!" The old turtle waved his hand, saying, "Master, you don’t need to be polite. I’ve been cultivating here for thirteen hundred years; although I can speak human language and live easily, I still can’t escape this shell. I hope you can ask the Buddha in the West when I can become human."
Tang Seng nodded, "Alright, I’ll definitely ask!" The old turtle, hearing this, was satisfied and leaped back into the water, disappearing from sight. Wukong quickly came over to help Tang Seng onto the horse, while Bajie carried the bag, and Sha Seng followed closely behind. The master and disciples found a wide road and headed west.
On this journey, Tang Seng thought to himself, "The holy monk is on a mission to worship Amitabha; the waters are deep and the mountains are far, truly a lot of disasters." But he remained resolute, feeling no fear, knowing that the white turtle had safely taken them across the heavenly river. Little did they know how much further they had to go and what dangers awaited them. All of this, we will discuss next time!
