Real Histories
The land god said with a serious face, "The Great Strength King is the Bull Demon King!" Upon hearing this, the Monkey King immediately frowned, "This mountain was set on fire by the Bull Demon King; how can it be called Flame Mountain?" The land god hurriedly explained, "No, no, Great Sage, if you could forgive my sins, I would dare to speak frankly." The Monkey King, confused, asked, "What sin do you have? Just tell me, it’s fine." The land god hesitated, "Actually, the fire was caused by you, Great Sage."
The Monkey King jumped up in anger, "I was there! Are you talking nonsense? I’m not the one who started the fire!" The land god helplessly replied, "Great Sage, you might not recognize me. This mountain didn’t exist before; it was created from the residual fire when you wreaked havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago and were trapped in the Eight Trigrams Furnace. I was originally the Taoist priest guarding the furnace, but since I failed in my duty, I was punished by the Old Lord and became the land god of Flame Mountain."
Zhu Bajie, listening nearby, gritted his teeth in anger, "No wonder you look like that; turns out you’re a Taoist turned land god!" The Monkey King, half-believing, asked, "Then tell me quickly, why do we need to find the Great Strength King?" The land god continued, "The Great Strength King is the husband of the Rakshasa woman. He is currently in the Moya Cave of the Jilei Mountain. He abandoned the Rakshasa woman to pursue the daughter of the Fox King, known as the Jade-faced Princess. The princess has a lot of wealth and wanted to find a husband, so she chose the Bull Demon King. He has not returned for a long time after abandoning the Rakshasa woman. If the Great Sage can find the Bull Demon King and ask him to lend the real fan, it can not only extinguish the fire but also ensure the safety of our master."
Upon hearing this, the Monkey King immediately asked, "Where is Jilei Mountain? How far is it from here?" The land god replied, "It’s directly to the south, over three thousand miles away." As soon as the Monkey King heard this, he quickly instructed Sha Seng and Zhu Bajie to protect their master, then said to the land god, "You come with me; don’t go back." Just as he finished speaking, the land god suddenly disappeared.
Half an hour later, the Monkey King finally saw a tall mountain towering in the clouds. He descended from the clouds and stood at the mountain's peak, marveling, "What a great mountain! Not too high, yet it touches the sky; not too big, yet its roots reach the underworld." The sun shone brightly in front of the mountain, while behind it, the cold wind cut through, creating a peculiar scene.
At that moment, while wandering in the mountain, the Monkey King suddenly spotted a woman walking under the pine shade, holding a branch of fragrant orchid, graceful and charming. He hid behind a strange rock, focused his gaze, and couldn’t help but admire, "This woman is truly stunning, walking as lightly as a lotus flower." Her beauty was like Wang Qiang’s, and her eyes sparkled like autumn waters—she was simply breathtaking.
As the woman approached the stone, the Monkey King quickly bowed and asked softly, "Bodhisattva, where are you going?" The woman looked up, saw the Monkey King’s appearance, and was startled, stammering, "Who are you to dare ask me here?" The Monkey King thought, "If I say I’m here for the scriptures, she might be related to the Bull Demon King and get upset."
Seeing him silent, the woman’s expression changed, angrily shouting, "Who are you to dare ask me?" The Monkey King quickly smiled, "I come from the Cuiyun Mountain, just arrived here, and don’t know the way. May I ask if this is Jilei Mountain?" The woman replied, "It is indeed." The Monkey King continued, "Where is the Moya Cave?" Upon hearing this, the woman’s anger flared, her face turning red as she scolded, "This shameless maid! The Bull King stayed at my home for less than two years, gave me so many jewels and gold, yet she’s still not satisfied, coming to ask for him!"
The Monkey King instantly realized she was the Jade-faced Princess and shouted in anger, "You shameless one! The Bull King is yours for sale, and you dare to scold me!" The woman was so frightened she nearly lost her wits and hurriedly turned to run. The Monkey King chased after her, passing through the pine shade, and arrived right at the entrance of the Moya Cave, where the woman slammed the door shut. The Monkey King put away his iron staff and paused to admire the surrounding scenery—it was truly breathtaking, a fairyland!
While we set aside the Monkey King admiring the scenery, the woman was in a panic, running with her hair in disarray, heart racing, heading straight for the Bull Demon King's study. The Bull Demon King was leisurely playing with a dan book when he saw her rush into his arms and immediately asked with concern, "My beauty, what happened? Is there something wrong?" The woman, however, was furious, shouting, "You demon, you’ve ruined me!"
The Bull Demon King was taken aback, "How have I harmed you?" The woman angrily replied, "I came to you for protection and sustenance because I have no one to rely on. The rumors in the martial world say you are a hero, but it turns out you are just a cowardly husband!" Upon hearing this, the Bull King quickly embraced her, "My beauty, don’t be angry; take your time and tell me what happened." The woman began to complain, "I was outside the cave picking orchids when suddenly a hairy-faced monk appeared, scaring me out of my wits. He said he was sent by Princess Iron Fan, and when I spoke to him, he insulted me and chased me away with a stick! I almost got beaten to death; isn’t this just inviting you to harm me?"
The Bull Demon King, after listening, was furious, "Don’t worry, I will definitely go out and see this hairy-faced monk!" He then donned his armor, picked up a mixed iron staff, and strode out aggressively, shouting, "Who is being rude here?" The Monkey King, watching from the side, noted that the Bull Demon King looked quite impressive, wearing a shiny iron helmet, adorned in splendid golden armor, with pointed boots, eyes like bright mirrors, and eyebrows like red rainbows—truly imposing.
The Monkey King quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Elder brother, do you still remember your little brother?" The Bull King returned the gesture, "You must be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong!" The Monkey King laughed, "Exactly! It’s been a long time! You’re looking more impressive than ever!" The Bull King snorted coldly, "Cut the flattery! I heard you caused a ruckus in Heaven and were trapped under the Five Elements Mountain; why have you come to find me again?"
The Monkey King hurriedly explained, "Elder brother, don’t misunderstand! At that time, my master was captured by your son, and I had no way to help. Luckily, Bodhisattva Guanyin came to my aid, and now I have become a good fortune boy, enjoying a blissful life. Why would I come to trouble you?" The Bull King scolded, "You little monkey, how dare you come here to cause trouble!"
The Monkey King quickly smiled apologetically, "I just wanted to ask about my sister-in-law, but I didn’t expect her to scold me. I momentarily lost my manners and startled her. I hope elder brother can forgive me!" The Bull King thought for a moment, "Since that’s the case, out of old feelings, I will let you go." The Monkey King was immensely grateful, "Thank you, elder brother, but I have one more thing to ask of you."
Upon hearing this, the Bull King immediately became displeased, "This little monkey is really never-ending! I let you go, and instead of leaving, you come to trouble me! What do you want?" The Monkey King quickly said, "To be honest, I’m here to protect Tang Seng on his journey west. We need to borrow my sister-in-law’s Banana Leaf Fan to pass through Flame Mountain. Last time I visited, she wouldn’t lend it to me, so I’m specially asking you for help."
The Bull King’s anger flared even more, "You’re here to borrow a fan, yet you bully my mountain wife and still want me to help you! You can’t bully a friend’s wife, nor can you destroy a friend’s concubine. Since you’ve bullied my wife and destroyed my concubine, this is truly too disrespectful! Come, take a stick from me!" The Monkey King felt a bit panicked, "Brother, if you want to hit me, I’m not afraid, but I ask you to lend me the fan!"
The Bull King sneered, "If you can defeat me, I’ll let you borrow the fan; if you can’t, today you’ll see my power!" The Monkey King felt a tightening in his chest, "Fine, then I’ll see how your skills have improved these past few years!" The Bull King said nothing, took out his mixed iron staff, and struck first. The Monkey King immediately raised his golden staff to meet it.
This battle was like a meteor colliding with the earth, as the golden staff and mixed iron staff clashed in the air, creating a thunderous sound. One hero shouted, "You monkey really harmed my son!" The other retorted, "Your son has already achieved enlightenment; stop hating me!" Back and forth they went, their old friendship forgotten, truly a family without loyalty, with everyone harboring dissatisfaction.
The Bull King swung his staff with the might of a dragon, and the Monkey King met it with his golden staff, fighting fiercely. They initially battled at the foot of the mountain, but soon they both rode on clouds, soaring into the sky, showcasing their divine powers with colorful lights radiating everywhere—the scene was truly spectacular.
The two staffs clashed in the air, producing a deafening sound, and neither could gain the upper hand. Just as they were locked in fierce combat, someone suddenly shouted from the mountaintop, "Grandpa Niu, my king sends his regards! Come quickly to the banquet!" Upon hearing this, the Bull King immediately pressed his mixed iron staff against the golden staff and said to the Monkey King, "Wait here; I’m off to a friend’s banquet!"
With that, the Bull King rushed into the cave and said to the Jade-faced Princess, "My beauty, that hairy-faced monk was Sun Wukong. I drove him away, so don’t worry. I’m going to drink with a friend." He then removed his armor, donned a dark blue robe, mounted his Golden-eyed Beast, and set off with his minions toward the northwest.
The Monkey King watched from the peak and thought to himself, "What friend is this old bull visiting? This is interesting; I need to follow him." Without hesitation, he transformed into a gust of wind and followed closely behind. Soon, they arrived at a mountain, but the Bull King was nowhere to be seen.
The Monkey King condensed his form and searched around, discovering a deep pool of clear water in the mountain. By the pool stood a stone tablet inscribed with "Chaotic Stone Mountain, Clear Wave Pool." He thought, "The old bull must have gone into the water; there are plenty of spirits at the bottom. I need to check it out."
So, the Monkey King performed a spell and transformed into a thirty-six-pound crab, jumping into the water with a splash and sinking to the bottom of the pool. Suddenly, he saw a delicate and transparent archway, with the Golden-eyed Beast tethered below. Upon entering the archway, he found that there was no water inside—truly marvelous.
The Great Sage crawled in and took a closer look; the decorations inside were extraordinarily luxurious: red palaces and shell towers, golden roofs, and white jade door hinges—it was simply a fairyland. A grand banquet was set up in the main hall, with officials of all ranks gathering joyfully, and the sound of music rose and fell, creating an extraordinary atmosphere.
The Bull Demon King was sitting at the top, surrounded by several dragon spirits, while an old dragon spirit sat in front, flanked by dragon sons and grandsons. Just as the cups were clinking, the old dragon spotted the Great Sage and immediately ordered, "Catch that wild crab!" The dragon sons and grandsons surged forward and captured the Great Sage.
The Great Sage hurriedly pleaded for mercy, "Spare me! Spare me!" The old dragon asked, "Where did this wild crab come from, and how dare you make trouble here?" The Great Sage quickly fabricated a story, "I was born in a lake and accidentally wandered here. I truly didn’t know the rules; I hope you, great sir, can show mercy and spare my life!"
The spirits around listened and urged the old dragon to forgive him. The old dragon nodded and agreed, "Let him go, but remember to keep an eye on him." Upon hearing this, the Great Sage sighed in relief and hurriedly escaped, thinking to himself, "The Bull King is here drinking; once the banquet is over, I might as well steal his Golden-eyed Beast, transform into the Bull Demon King, and trick the Rakshasa woman into giving me her Banana Leaf Fan to ensure my master can cross the mountain!"
At this moment, the Great Sage Sun Wukong was truly powerful. He untied the Golden-eyed Beast, mounted it, and shot straight out of the water. Once outside the pool, he transformed back into the Bull Demon King’s appearance, riding the Golden-eyed Beast, summoning winds and rain. Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the Banana Leaf Cave on Cuiyun Mountain. He shouted loudly, "Open the door!"
Inside the cave, two young girls heard the voice and hurriedly opened the door. Upon seeing the Bull Demon King, they ran to report, "Grandma, grandpa is back!"
The Rakshasa woman, upon hearing this, quickly tidied her hair and stepped out gracefully. The Great Sage dismounted and led the Golden-eyed Beast, secretly pleased, preparing to deceive this mistress. The Rakshasa woman, unable to see through the disguise, smiled and pulled him into the cave. The maids hurriedly set the table and brewed tea, and everyone treated the Bull King with great respect.
Before long, after some pleasantries, the Bull King said, "My lady, it’s been a long time." The Rakshasa woman smiled and replied, "Long live the king. I heard you’ve recently taken a new bride; why have you come to see me today?" The Great Sage smiled and said, "It’s not that I didn’t want to see you; it’s just that I’ve been busy with many matters at home and many friends, which delayed my visit." He then mentioned, "I recently heard that Wukong is coming to borrow the fan. I resent him for it; when he arrives, I’ll take my revenge!"
Upon hearing this, the Rakshasa woman teared up and said, "My king, as the saying goes, a man has a wife as his master, and a woman has a husband as her master. My life was almost harmed by that monkey!" The Great Sage feigned anger, shouting, "When did that brazen monkey come here?" The Rakshasa woman replied, "He came the day before yesterday to borrow the fan. Because of him, I lost my child and went to confront him. He called me sister-in-law and said that the king and he were sworn brothers." The Great Sage was startled, "Five hundred years ago, we were indeed brothers!"
The Rakshasa woman continued, "He was so scolded by me that he didn't dare to retort; in the end, I used the fan to blow him away. I didn't expect him to come back today and shout outside my door. I was scared of him, so I closed the door, and he actually burrowed in through my stomach, nearly causing me harm!" The Great Sage thought to himself, "This is indeed a problem!"
He pretended to lament, "What a pity, how could you give that treasure to that monkey?" The Rakshasa woman laughed and said, "Don’t be angry, my king; that fan was a fake, just a ruse to fool him." The Great Sage immediately asked, "Then where is the real fan?" The Rakshasa woman reassured him, "Don’t worry, I have it safe." She called for the maids to prepare drinks and brought them over, saying, "My king, congratulations on your new marriage; come, let’s have a drink!"
The Great Sage took the cup and smiled, saying, "Thank you, my lady. I came this time to handle some external affairs; it’s been a while, and I must thank you properly." The Rakshasa woman handed him the cup and replied, "Since ancient times, husbands and wives are of one mind; why be so polite?" The two began to drink together.
After several rounds, the Rakshasa woman gradually became tipsy, her mood grew more affectionate, and they leaned closer, teasing each other, creating a tender atmosphere. The Great Sage remained cautious and brought up the topic, "My lady, where is the real fan hidden? I’m worried that Sun Wukong will come to deceive you again."
The Rakshasa woman giggled as she took out a fan the size of an apricot leaf and handed it to the Great Sage, saying, "Isn’t this a treasure?" The Great Sage took it and looked, doubting, "How can this small fan extinguish a fire?" The Rakshasa woman, unfazed and feeling the effects of the alcohol, candidly replied, "My king, if you twist the red thread and chant a spell, it can become very large and fan flames for eight thousand miles!"
The Great Sage mentally noted this but pretended to be nonchalant, showing a slight smile, and turned to expose her, "Rakshasa woman, do you think I’m your true husband? You actually want me to do such disgraceful things!" Upon seeing it was Sun Wukong, the Rakshasa woman panicked, knocked over the table, and yelled angrily, "You’re driving me crazy! You’re driving me crazy!"
At this moment, the Great Sage Sun Wukong was overjoyed, just having come out of the Banana Leaf Cave, thinking of beauty, with a smug smile on his face. He jumped onto a high mountain and began to demonstrate how to use the fan. With his left thumb twisting the red thread, he chanted a spell, and the fan suddenly grew to twelve feet long, truly astonishing! He examined it closely and found that this fan was much better than the previous fake—brilliant and dazzling, with thirty-six strands of red thread; it was indeed a treasure! However, Wukong had only learned how to enlarge it and hadn’t grasped the small incantation, so he could only helplessly carry the fan on his shoulder and head back along the old path.
Meanwhile, the Bull Demon King was at the bottom of the Clear Wave Pool, enjoying the feast with the spirits when he suddenly realized his Golden-eyed Beast was missing! The old dragon king immediately gathered the spirits and asked, "Who dares to steal Lord Niu’s Golden-eyed Beast?" The spirits all knelt and said, "We are all here; who would dare to touch it?" The old dragon king frowned and said, "Then can we say that a living person has come in?" The dragon sons and grandsons replied, "Just now, a crab spirit came by." Upon hearing this, the Bull King immediately understood, "Isn’t that Sun Wukong! He came to borrow the fan from me before; I didn’t expect him to transform into a crab spirit to spy and steal my beast to trick my wife into giving him the fan!"
The spirits were all anxious and asked, "Is it that Sun Wukong who caused a ruckus in Heaven?" The Bull King nodded, "Exactly! If you encounter him on the way to the Western Paradise, it’s best to avoid him!" The old dragon king asked, "What about the king’s Golden-eyed Beast?" The Bull King laughed, "No worries, everyone disperse; I’ll go find him!" With that, he jumped out of the pool, riding a yellow cloud, heading straight for the Banana Leaf Cave on Cuiyun Mountain.
At this moment, the Rakshasa woman was anxiously pounding her chest inside the cave. Upon seeing the Bull Demon King return, she immediately rushed up and scolded, "You old fool! How could you be so careless and let that monkey steal the Golden-eyed Beast and come to trick me!" The Bull King gritted his teeth in anger, "Where did that monkey run off to?" The Rakshasa woman, furious, pounded her chest and said, "He tricked me out of my treasure and ran away as soon as he revealed himself; it drives me crazy!" The Bull King comforted her, "Don’t worry; once I catch that monkey and retrieve the treasure, I’ll skin him to vent your anger!" He shouted loudly, "Quick, bring the weapons!"
The young girls hurriedly said, "Grandpa's weapon isn't here!" The Bull King angrily replied, "Then take your grandma's weapon!" The maidservants quickly presented two precious green swords. The Bull King removed his banquet attire and changed into lighter clothing, gripping the swords in both hands. He walked out of the Banana Leaf Cave and rushed toward Flame Mountain. Truly: an ungrateful man deceives a lovesick woman; a fierce demon is ready to strike! What will happen next? We'll talk about it next time!
Once upon a time, Tang Seng listened to the Bodhisattva's teachings, accepted Sun Wukong, and, along with Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng, cut off their doubts, working together as they headed westward. Time flew by, and before they knew it, summer had passed and autumn had arrived. One day, with thin clouds drifting and the western wind howling, they heard cranes calling in the distance, making the scenery seem desolate. As they traveled far and wide, just when they were sweating from the heat, Tang Seng stopped his horse and said, puzzled, “It’s autumn now; why is it so hot?”
Upon hearing this, Bajie immediately explained, “You see, there’s a country called Sihali in the west, which is where the sun sets, commonly known as the end of the earth. When it’s time for Shen and You, the king sends people to beat drums and blow horns, making quite a commotion. The sunlight reflects off the Western Sea like boiling water, and the noise is deafening, causing all the kids in the city to cry.” Hearing this, the Great Sage couldn’t help but laugh, “You silly fool, that’s a funny thing to say! Sihali is far away! It’s like eating tofu in the morning and it turning into bean sprouts by night!”
At this moment, Sha Seng chimed in, “Maybe the weather is off; it’s autumn, but it feels like summer.” Just as they were debating, a red-tiled house appeared by the roadside, with red brick walls and a red oil door, making it look like a red world. Tang Seng dismounted and said, “Wukong, go ask that family what’s going on with this heat.”
Sun Wukong put away his golden staff, tidied up his clothes, and assumed a scholarly demeanor as he approached the door. Suddenly, an old man stepped out, dressed in peculiar clothes, leaning on a bamboo staff, and wearing a pair of neither new nor old shoes. The old man was startled to see Wukong and asked, “Who are you, strange person? What are you doing here?”
Wukong quickly explained, “Old benefactor, don’t be afraid! I’m not a strange person; I’m an envoy from the Eastern Tang Dynasty, here to seek scriptures in the west. We four were just passing by, and it’s so hot; we wanted to ask you why.” The old man relaxed upon hearing this, smiled, and said, “Don’t blame me, I was a bit dazed and didn’t recognize you.”
The old man then asked, “Where is your master?” Wukong replied, “He’s just down the main road to the south!” The old man hurriedly invited them inside. Wukong waved, and Tang Seng, Bajie, and Sha Seng all led the white horse and carried their luggage over, bowing to the old man.
Seeing Tang Seng’s dignified appearance and Bajie and Sha Seng’s unique looks, the old man was pleasantly surprised and invited them in. He asked the children to brew tea while he prepared the meal. Tang Seng, seeing this, stood up to thank him: “May I ask why it’s still so hot here in autumn?”
The old man replied, “This place is called Fire Mountain, and it’s hot all year round.” Upon hearing this, Tang Seng’s heart sank: “Where is Fire Mountain? Will it block our way west?” The old man said, “Fire Mountain is sixty miles from here, right on your way westward, but the area around it is engulfed in flames for eight hundred miles, with not a blade of grass growing. If you try to pass, even bronze heads and iron bodies will melt!” Tang Seng turned pale upon hearing this and quickly stopped asking.
Outside the door, a young man was pushing a red cart, shouting, “Selling cakes!” Sun Wukong saw this and thought the cakes must be good, so he pulled out a hair and transformed it into a coin, asking the young man if he could buy some cakes. The young man took the coin without hesitation, lifted the cart cover, and handed out a steaming piece of cake. Wukong grabbed it and felt like he was holding a hot basin, exclaiming, “Hot! Hot! Hot! Tastes terrible!”
The young man laughed and said, “If you’re afraid of the heat, don’t come here; it’s always this hot.” Wukong was displeased, saying, “You’re really unreasonable! There’s a saying, ‘If it’s not cold or hot, grains won’t yield.’ Where did you get this cake flour?” The young man replied, “If you want to know, go find the Iron Fan Fairy.” Wukong asked curiously, “Who is the Iron Fan Fairy?” The young man explained, “He has a banana leaf fan that can extinguish fire, create wind, and bring rain, ensuring a good harvest. Otherwise, nothing will grow!”
Hearing this, Wukong hurriedly ran into the house and handed the cake to Tang Seng, saying, “Master, don’t worry! Eat this piece of cake, and I’ll tell you.” Tang Seng took the cake and asked the old man, “Sir, can we eat this cake?” The old man replied, “I haven’t prepared any tea or meals, how can I eat your cake?” Wukong smiled and said, “Old man, no need for tea or meals; I just want to ask where the Iron Fan Fairy is.”
The old man asked, “Why do you want to know?” Wukong answered, “I want to borrow his fan to extinguish the fire on Fire Mountain.”
The old man said, “You have no gifts; I’m afraid the fairy won’t come.” Tang Seng inquired, “What kind of gift does he want?” The old man replied, “People here can only ask once every ten years. You need to prepare four pigs, four sheep, fragrant fruits, fine wine, and bathe with sincerity to invite him.”
Wukong asked, “Where is that mountain? What’s it called?” The old man said, “That mountain is southwest of here, called Cuiling Mountain. There’s a banana leaf cave inside. Devotees who go to worship the fairy have to walk a month round trip, covering one thousand four hundred and fifty-six miles.”
Upon hearing this, Wukong laughed heartily, “No problem! I’ll go and be back soon!” The old man hurriedly said, “Wait! Eat something and take some provisions; the road can be dangerous!” Wukong waved his hand, “No need, I’ll go!” With that, he vanished in an instant. The old man exclaimed, “Oh, so he’s a divine being who rides the clouds!”
Without mentioning the family’s offerings to Tang Seng, our Wukong instantly arrived at Cuiling Mountain, searching for the cave entrance. Suddenly, he heard the sound of “ding ding,” realizing a woodcutter was chopping wood. Wukong approached and greeted, “Hello, woodcutter!” The woodcutter put down his axe and replied, “Elder, where are you headed?” Wukong asked, “Is this Cuiling Mountain?” The woodcutter nodded, “Indeed it is.”
Wukong hurriedly asked, “Where is the Iron Fan Fairy’s banana leaf cave?” The woodcutter smiled and said, “The cave is there, but the Iron Fan Fairy isn’t; only a female demon is present.” Upon hearing this, Wukong felt a tightness in his chest: “She is the wife of the Bull Demon King; I must be cautious!”
Seeing Wukong deep in thought, the woodcutter said with a smile, “Elder, don’t worry; just walk east for five or six miles, and you’ll reach the banana leaf cave.” Wukong replied, “Actually, I’m a disciple of the Tang Dynasty and had some acquaintance with the demon’s son; I’m afraid she might seek revenge.” The woodcutter encouraged him, “A true man can discern appearances; just ask for the fan without overthinking it.” Wukong gratefully said, “Thank you, woodcutter; I’ll go now!”
After bidding farewell to the woodcutter, Wukong went straight to the entrance of the banana leaf cave. He saw two tightly shut doors, and the scenery outside was picturesque—a truly beautiful place! The landscape here resembled the poetry described: mountains with stone as bones, clouds and mist swirling, ancient relics from a thousand years, traces of immortals for ten thousand years, making it hard to leave.
Wukong stepped forward and called out, “Brother Niu, open the door! Open the door!” Unexpectedly, the cave door opened with a creak, and a girl emerged, carrying a flower basket and a hoe, dressed in blue and looking spirited. Wukong quickly clasped his hands and said, “Little girl, please help me convey a message to the princess. I’m a monk going to the west to seek scriptures and would like to borrow the banana leaf fan to cross Fire Mountain.”
Upon hearing this, the girl immediately turned and entered the cave, kneeling before the female demon, saying, “Grandma, there’s a monk named Sun Wukong from the Eastern Land outside who wishes to see you and borrow the banana leaf fan.” When the female demon heard the name “Sun Wukong,” her anger flared up like adding fuel to fire, and she shouted, “That mischievous monkey! He’s finally come today!” She immediately ordered, “Maid, go get my armor and weapons!”
Before long, the female demon was fully dressed, with a flower handkerchief wrapped around her head, a brocade robe draped over her, and two sharp swords in her hands, striding out with an imposing presence. Seeing this, Wukong quickly bowed and greeted, “Sister-in-law, I’m here to pay my respects!” The female demon, upon hearing this, became furious, “Who is your sister-in-law? What do you want from me?” Wukong smiled and said, “The Bull Demon King is my sworn brother, and you are his wife, so naturally, I call you sister-in-law!”
The female demon angrily retorted, “You mischievous monkey! Since you’re brothers, how could you harm my son?” Wukong feigned innocence, “Who is your son?” The female demon gritted her teeth, “My son, the Red Boy, was beaten by you, and we were just planning to seek revenge!” Wukong quickly smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, you’ve misunderstood! The Red Boy captured my master, but fortunately, Guanyin Bodhisattva saved him. Now he’s with the Bodhisattva as a good fortune boy, living quite well!”
The female demon listened and still wouldn’t let it go, saying, “You have quite a sweet tongue! I want to see my son; how can I meet him?” Wukong slapped his forehead and said, “Sister-in-law, lend me your fan. I’ll use it to extinguish the fire on Fire Mountain and send my master over. Then I’ll go to the South Sea to bring him to see you, and I’ll return the fan. How does that sound?” The female demon coldly laughed, “You mischievous monkey, that’s a nice thought! Come here, and I’ll give you a few sword strikes. If you can handle it, then I’ll lend you the fan!”
Wukong didn’t care and smiled, “Sister-in-law, come on! You can chop my bald head as much as you want; I won’t feel a thing.” Upon hearing this, the female demon immediately swung her sword and struck at him repeatedly, but Wukong acted as if nothing was wrong, completely unconcerned. The more the female demon attacked, the more anxious she became. She turned to leave, but Wukong shouted, “Sister-in-law, don’t go! Quickly lend me the fan!”
The female demon coldly replied, “My treasure isn’t something I lend out casually.” Hearing this, Wukong felt a rush of urgency: “Then let me show you my strength!” With that, he grabbed the female demon with one hand and pulled out his golden staff with the other, shaking it. The staff was as thick as a bowl and looked imposing.
Seeing this, the female demon hurriedly raised her sword to fight back, and the two began to clash fiercely at the foot of Cuiling Mountain. Although they were relatives, their enmity was no joke. Wukong was focused on borrowing the fan, while the female demon was filled with hatred, resulting in a fierce battle that was quite a spectacle.
The fight continued intensely until the sun in the west slowly began to set. The female demon saw how heavy Wukong’s staff was and thought that if she didn’t take out the banana leaf fan, she would be at a disadvantage. Thus, she finally pulled out the fan and gave it a gentle wave. Instantly, a cold wind blew up, and Wukong was blown away, unable to pursue her any longer. The female demon, feeling triumphant, returned to the cave, truly savoring her victory!
As for the Great Sage Sun Wukong, he was quite unfortunate, tumbling and rolling like a leaf caught in a whirlwind, until he landed on a mountain after a whole night. He looked around and exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t this Little Xumi Mountain?” He couldn’t help but feel emotional: “What a powerful woman! She actually sent me here! I remember coming here to seek help from the Bodhisattva Lingji to defeat the Yellow Wind Monster and save my master.” He thought to himself that Fire Mountain was just to the south and not far from here, so he needed to ask Bodhisattva Lingji how to get back.
Just as he was deep in thought, he heard the sound of a bell ringing loudly. He hurried down the mountain, heading straight for the Zen temple. The Taoist at the entrance recognized him immediately and rushed inside to report, “The big-faced sage who came to ask for the Bodhisattva last year has come again!” Upon hearing this, Bodhisattva Lingji immediately descended from his throne to greet him, asking, “Wukong, have you come to fetch scriptures?” Wukong smiled and replied, “Not yet; it’s still early!”
Lingji asked, “Then how did you end up back in this desolate mountain?” Wukong sighed, “Ever since you helped me defeat the Yellow Wind Monster last time, I’ve faced many hardships along the way. Now I’ve reached Fire Mountain, but I can’t get past it. I heard that the Iron Fan Fairy has a banana leaf fan that can extinguish the flames, so I specifically came to find her. However, she is the wife of the Bull Demon King and the mother of the Red Boy, and she refused to lend me the fan. We ended up fighting, and she blew me all the way here!”
Bodhisattva Lingji laughed upon hearing this and said, “That woman is called the female demon, and the fan in her hand is a spiritual treasure that can extinguish flames. The reason you were able to stop here is because you possess the ability of cloud retention. If it were an ordinary person, they would have been blown away long ago!” Wukong exclaimed, “That’s incredible! But how will my master get past?”
Bodhisattva Lingji reassured him, “Don’t worry. This is Tang Seng’s destined fate; you are meant to succeed.” Wukong was curious, “How can I succeed?” Lingji replied, “I once obtained a Wind-Stabilizing Pill that can protect you from being affected. I’ll give it to you now, and with it, the fan won’t blow you away.” Wukong was immensely grateful and thanked him repeatedly.
Bodhisattva Lingji placed the Wind-Stabilizing Pill in a brocade bag, tied it up, and handed it to Wukong, saying, “Hurry and go; head northwest to reach the female demon’s mountain.” Wukong bid farewell to Lingji and flew back to Cuiling Mountain on his cloud. Arriving at the cave entrance, he knocked on the door and called out, “Open the door! Open the door! Old Sun is here to borrow the fan!”
Inside, the young girl hurried to report, “Grandma, the one borrowing the fan is back!” Upon hearing this, the female demon felt a tightening in her chest: “This mischievous monkey really has some skill! My fan can blow for eighty-four thousand miles; how could he come back so quickly?” She thought to herself that she needed to teach Wukong a good lesson, so she prepared herself, stepping out with her sword and fiercely declaring, “Sun Wukong! You’re not afraid of me and have come seeking death again!”
Wukong smiled and replied, “Sister-in-law, don’t be stingy. Quickly lend me the fan, and I promise to send Tang Seng over the mountain, then I’ll return it to you. I’m a man of my word, not someone who borrows things and doesn’t return them!” The female demon angrily retorted, “You mischievous monkey, you haven’t avenged the grudge of taking my son and want to borrow the fan? No way! Come, take a sword strike from me!”
Wukong was not afraid at all and raised his iron rod to fight back. The two fought fiercely, but when the female demon realized she was losing strength, she panicked and took out the fan, waving it at Wukong. Unexpectedly, Wukong stood firm and said with a smile, “This time it’s different! No matter how much you fan, if I move even a little, I’m not a man!” Seeing this, the female demon became flustered, quickly put away the fan, turned, and returned to her cave, thinking, “This mischievous monkey is really hard to deal with!”
When Wukong saw the female demon shut the door, he had an idea and quickly devised a little trick. He opened his collar, held the Wind-Stabilizing Pill in his mouth, and transformed into a small cricket, slipping through the crack of the door. Inside, the female demon called out, “I’m thirsty! I’m thirsty! Quickly bring me some tea!” At that moment, a young girl brought a pot of fragrant tea and poured a bowl full, with bubbles frothing over. Wukong saw this and was overjoyed, flying under the tea foam and quietly slipping inside.
The female demon, unable to bear her thirst, took the tea and drank several large gulps. Wukong seized the opportunity to burrow into her belly, revealing his true form, and shouted, “Sister-in-law, lend me the fan to use!” The female demon screamed in fright, “Little ones, quickly close the front door!” The young girls hurriedly replied, “It’s closed!” The female demon then asked, “Since the door is closed, how is Sun Wukong making noise inside?” The young girl replied, “He’s calling from inside your belly!” The female demon was shocked, “Sun Wukong, what kind of trick are you playing?” Wukong laughed, “I’m not playing tricks; this is real skill; I’m already having fun inside your belly!”
The female demon cried out in pain, and Wukong added, “Sister-in-law, let me give you a little seat to quench your thirst!” With that, he stomped down, causing the female demon to roll on the ground in agony, her face turning pale and her lips white, hurriedly pleading for mercy, “Uncle Sun, spare my life!” Only then did Wukong stop and laugh, saying, “You’re calling me uncle now? Considering the brotherly bond with Bull Demon King, I’ll spare your life, but quickly bring me the fan!” The female demon hurriedly said, “I have a fan! I have a fan! You come out and take it!”
Wukong replied, “Then I need to see the fan first.” The female demon called for a young girl to bring a banana leaf fan. Wukong poked his head out and said with a smile, “Sister-in-law, since I’ve spared your life, you need to open your mouth to let me out.” The female demon complied and opened her mouth three times. Seizing the opportunity, Wukong flew out, took the fan, and cheered, “Thanks for the loan! Thanks for the loan!” He then swaggered out of the cave, and the young girls hurriedly opened the door to let him pass.
The Great Sage flew back along the eastern road, landing under the red brick wall. Upon seeing him, Zhu Bajie joyfully shouted, “Master, the senior brother is back!” Tang Seng and Sha Seng also came out to greet him. Wukong leaned the fan against the side and asked the old man, “Is this the fan?” The old man nodded in affirmation. Tang Seng happily said, “My virtuous disciple has worked hard to obtain this treasure!” Wukong smiled and replied, “It wasn’t easy! That Iron Fan Fairy is actually the wife of the Bull Demon King and the mother of the Red Boy, named the female demon. She refused to lend me the fan and even fought with me, and I ended up blown to Little Xumi Mountain. Luckily, I met Bodhisattva Lingji, who gave me the Wind-Stabilizing Pill, allowing me to return.”
Tang Seng was deeply grateful after hearing this, and the disciples thanked the old man before continuing their journey westward. As they walked, the heat gradually became unbearable. Sha Seng exclaimed, “My feet are burning!” Zhu Bajie complained, “My claws are almost cooked!” The horse was also running quickly, and everyone felt uncomfortable. Wukong said, “Master, you dismount and rest. I’ll fan the fire, and once it’s a bit smaller, we can cross the mountain.” He raised the fan and headed straight for the fire, fanning it vigorously. The flames surged higher and higher, eventually reaching a height of a thousand feet, burning off two of his hairs.
Wukong hurriedly ran back to Tang Seng and shouted, “Quick, retreat! The fire is coming! The fire is coming!” Master, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng quickly ran back, stopping only after traveling twenty miles. Tang Seng anxiously asked, “Wukong, what happened?” Wukong, looking frustrated, replied, “I fanned it once, and the flames flared up; the second fan was even fiercer, and the third almost turned me into charcoal!”
Zhu Bajie laughed and said, “Didn’t you say that lightning can’t harm you and fire can’t burn you? Why are you afraid of fire now?” Wukong replied helplessly, “You fool, that was for defense; now I didn’t use any spells, and two of my hairs got burned!” Sha Seng frowned, “With such a fierce fire, how can we get past?” Zhu Bajie suggested, “Then let’s find a place without fire to walk through!” Tang Seng asked, “Where is there a place without fire?” Zhu Bajie said, “There’s no fire in the east, south, or north.” He then asked, “But where are the scriptures?” Zhu Bajie answered, “The scriptures are in the west.” Tang Seng firmly declared, “I want to go to the place with the scriptures!”
Sha Seng sighed, “The place with scriptures has fire, and the place without fire has no scriptures. It’s really a dilemma!” Just as they were discussing, they suddenly heard someone call out, “Great Sage, don’t worry! Come eat some vegetarian food first!” The four turned around to see an old man wearing a cloak, a crown on his head, and holding a dragon-headed staff, followed by a ghost carrying a copper basin filled with steamed buns and rice.
The land spirit said, “I am the land spirit of Fire Mountain. I know you can’t move forward, so I specially brought you some vegetarian food.” Wukong asked, “Eating vegetarian food is fine, but when will this fire be extinguished?” The land spirit replied, “To extinguish the fire, you need to ask the female demon for the banana leaf fan.” Wukong picked up the fan and said, “Isn’t this the fan? Why does it make the fire burn even more?” The land spirit laughed and said, “This fan isn’t the real one; it’s just a trick of hers.” Wukong asked, “Then how can we borrow the real fan?” The land spirit smiled slightly and said, “If you want to borrow the real fan, you need to find the Great Strength King.” As for who the Great Strength King is, stay tuned for the next part.
After the two travelers said goodbye to the Bodhisattva, they soared into the sky and flew away from the South Sea. The traveler’s cloud was fast, but the monk’s cloud lagged a bit behind, so the traveler decided to go ahead. The monk hurriedly grabbed him and said, “Big brother, don’t be sneaky! Go settle things first, and I’ll follow you!”
The traveler thought to himself, “I’m a kind-hearted Great Sage!” but the monk was a bit suspicious. Nevertheless, they both took to the clouds together. Soon, they spotted Flower-Fruit Mountain and landed outside a cave to take a closer look. Sure enough, they saw a traveler sitting high on a stone platform, drinking and having fun with a group of monkeys. He looked exactly like the Great Sage: golden hair, golden eyes, dressed in brocade, with a tiger-skin skirt, a golden staff in hand, and wearing a pair of deer-hide boots. He truly resembled a thunderous face with sharp teeth and wide ears.
The Great Sage was furious, throwing down the monk and charging forward with his iron rod, shouting, “You evil creature! How dare you imitate my appearance and occupy my descendants, causing chaos in my cave!” The traveler, however, was unfazed and stepped forward, leading to a fierce battle between the two travelers. True monkey versus false monster, neither side gave in, and it was a tough fight!
The monk watched nervously from the side, unsure whether to intervene. He wanted to help but was afraid of hurting the real Great Sage. After a long time of hesitation, he finally decided to jump off the cliff, pulling out his demon-suppressing staff and striking it fiercely outside the Waterfall Cave. This startled the group of demons, overturned the stone benches, and shattered the wine cups, but he couldn’t find his blue bag anywhere. It turned out the Waterfall Cave was a waterfall that looked like a white curtain from afar, but up close, it was just flowing water. The monk was unaware of this origin, making it hard to find.
Even flying high in the clouds, the monk didn’t know how to proceed. The Great Sage told him, “You can’t help me. It’s better to go back and inform Master that we’re having a battle of true and false here at the South Sea and Mount Luojia.” After saying this, the false traveler echoed him. The monk saw that both travelers looked identical and found it truly hard to distinguish between them, so he had no choice but to comply and turned back to report to Tang Seng.
Look, those two travelers were fighting as they walked, shouting all the way to the South Sea, heading straight to Mount Luojia, their clash shaking the heavens. This alarmed the protective deities, who quickly reported to the Bodhisattva: “Bodhisattva, there are indeed two Sun Wukongs fighting!” The Bodhisattva, along with the wooden staff traveler, the good fortune boy, and the dragon girl, rushed out, shouting, “Where do those beasts think they’re going?”
The two travelers were entangled with each other, arguing endlessly: “Bodhisattva, this guy really looks like me! I just came from the Waterfall Cave, and after fighting for a long time, we couldn’t determine the winner. Sha Wujing is too dull to distinguish, so I sent him back to tell Master that I’m fighting this guy at Treasure Mountain, hoping the Bodhisattva can use your wisdom to tell us apart!” After saying this, the false traveler repeated the same. The gods and the Bodhisattva observed for a long time but couldn’t tell the truth from the falsehood. The Bodhisattva said, “Let go for now, and stand aside. Let me take another look.”
Sure enough, they both let go and stood still. One said, “I’m the real one!” The other replied, “He’s the fake!” The Bodhisattva called the wooden staff and the good fortune boy forward, quietly instructing, “You each hold one, and when I silently recite the Tightening Spell, let’s see who cries out in pain; that one will be the real one, and the one who doesn’t is the fake.” They each held one, and the Bodhisattva recited the spell. Both of them cried out in pain, clutching their heads and rolling on the ground, shouting, “Don’t recite! Don’t recite!” But as soon as the Bodhisattva stopped reciting, they started fighting again.
With no other options, the Bodhisattva called the wooden staff deities to help. The gods were afraid of hurting the real one and didn’t dare to act. The Bodhisattva called out, “Sun Wukong!” and both responded at the same time. The Bodhisattva said, “When you were the stable manager, during the uproar in Heaven, the celestial generals recognized you. You should go to the upper realm and help distinguish the truth.” The Great Sage gratefully thanked him, and the false traveler also expressed his thanks repeatedly.
The two travelers were pulling and tugging at each other, continuously shouting as they rushed toward the Southern Heavenly Gate. The Heavenly King of Broad Eyes and the Four Great Heavenly Generals hurried over, calling upon the various deities to block their path with weapons, saying, "What are you two fighting about here? This is a place of conflict!" The Great Sage looked innocent and explained, "I was protecting Tang Seng on his journey to the West, and I killed a few bandits along the way. As a result, Tang Seng sent me back, so I went to Mount Putuo to complain to Bodhisattva Guanyin. Unexpectedly, this demon transformed into my likeness, defeated Tang Seng, and stole my bag! Sha Monk came to Flower-Fruit Mountain to find me and discovered that this demon had occupied my home. He then came to Mount Putuo to tell the Bodhisattva, but was deceived into thinking it was me. The Bodhisattva didn’t listen to Sha Monk and ordered us to go to Flower-Fruit Mountain to verify our identities. As it turns out, this demon looks exactly like me, and after fighting from the Waterfall Cave to Mount Putuo to see the Bodhisattva, even the Bodhisattva found it difficult to tell us apart, which is why we ended up here. I kindly ask the deities for help in distinguishing the truth from the falsehood." After finishing, the false traveler repeated the same.
The deities looked for a long time but still couldn’t tell the real from the fake. The two travelers conferred and said, "Since you can’t recognize us, quickly step aside and let us meet the Jade Emperor!" The gods had no choice but to let them through the Heavenly Gate, heading straight for the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Marshal Ma and the Four Heavenly Masters quickly reported, "Two Sun Wukongs have come from the lower realm, breaking into the Heavenly Gate, claiming they want to see the King." Before they finished speaking, the two travelers charged in, startling the Jade Emperor, who immediately descended from his throne and asked, "What are you two causing a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace for, coming here to seek death?"
The Great Sage hurriedly said, "Long live! Long live! I now submit and vow never to deceive again, only because this demon has transformed into my likeness." He then recounted the whole story in detail, "I hope to distinguish the truth from the falsehood!" The false traveler echoed him again.
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor immediately issued an order to King Li: "Bring out the demon-revealing mirror to see who is real and who is fake!" The king quickly fetched the mirror, and the Jade Emperor along with the other deities looked into it. The mirror reflected the shadows of the two Sun Wukongs, their golden robes identical, not even a hair was different. The Jade Emperor couldn’t recognize them either and had no choice but to expel them from the hall. The Great Sage sneered, and the false traveler laughed joyfully as they both rushed out of the Heavenly Gate, shouting, "I’m going to see the master with you! I’m going to see the master with you!"
Meanwhile, after saying goodbye to Flower-Fruit Mountain, Sha Monk traveled for three days and nights, finally returning to his original place and telling Tang Seng everything that had happened. Tang Seng was filled with regret: "At that time, I only knew that Sun Wukong struck me with a rod and stole my bag; I didn’t realize it was the demon in disguise!" Sha Monk continued, "That demon even pretended to be an elder, a white horse, and even impersonated me. In a fit of anger, I killed that monkey demon with my staff, which startled him and caused him to flee. I then went to the Bodhisattva to complain. The Bodhisattva told me to go with my brother to identify him, and indeed that demon looked exactly like my brother. I was helpless, so I came back to inform Master."
Tang Seng was astonished, left speechless. But Zhu Bajie laughed heartily: "Great! Isn’t this exactly what that old lady said? She mentioned that there would be several incidents of seeking scriptures; isn’t this another one?" The whole family gathered around to ask Sha Monk, "Where did you go to beg for food these past few days?" Sha Monk smiled and replied, "I went to Flower-Fruit Mountain in the East Victory Divine Continent to get my luggage from my senior brother, then to Mount Putuo in the South Sea to pay respects to Bodhisattva Guanyin, and finally returned here." An elder asked, "How far was the round trip?" Sha Monk said, "About two hundred thousand miles." The elder exclaimed, "Goodness, you traveled so far in just a few days! You must have flown on clouds!" Zhu Bajie interjected, "How else would you cross the sea without flying on clouds?" Sha Monk replied, "We consider it walking; if it were my senior brother, he could make the round trip in just a few days." Upon hearing this, the family said he was a celestial being, and Zhu Bajie teased, "Though we are not celestial beings, celestial beings are still our juniors!"
Just as everyone was discussing excitedly, they suddenly heard a commotion in the air. Everyone rushed out to see that two travelers were fighting. Upon seeing this, Zhu Bajie felt restless and couldn’t help but want to join in the fun: "Wait for me to take a look!" This guy was as eager as a little monkey, immediately jumping up and shouting into the sky, "Senior brother, don’t shout, I, Old Pig, am here!" To which both travelers responded in unison, "Brother, come fight the demon! Come fight the demon!" This made the onlookers laugh heartily, thinking, "Oh dear, these are several Arhats riding clouds! Truly, they are worthy of offering alms, but they can't help but attract such good people!" Everyone busied themselves with offerings, but secretly worried, "If these two travelers start fighting, the ground might shake; we really fear something will happen!"
Tang Seng noticed the old man’s happy face but felt anxious behind him, so he comforted, "Old benefactor, don’t worry. I have already subdued my disciples; they have turned from evil to good and will naturally thank you." The old man quickly waved his hands, saying, "I dare not! I dare not!" At that moment, Sha Monk interjected, "Benefactor, don’t worry. Master, you wait here; I and Second Brother will go bring them one by one. You just recite that incantation and see who cries out in pain; that one is the real one, and the one who doesn’t is the fake." Tang Seng nodded, "Well said." Sha Monk leapt into the air, calling out, "You two, stop! I’ll take you to Master to identify the truth!" The Great Sage and the other traveler also paused, and Sha Monk helped one of them, shouting, "Second Brother, you help with one too!" Sure enough, the two of them descended together, heading straight for the door of the grass hut.
Seeing this, Tang Seng quickly began to recite the Tightening Spell, resulting in both of them crying out in pain, "Why are you cursing us while we are suffering? Don’t recite! Don’t recite!" Tang Seng, being kind-hearted, stopped upon seeing this, but still couldn’t distinguish the truth from the falsehood. The two travelers broke free from their grips and started fighting again. The Great Sage angrily declared, "Brothers, protect Master well; I want to fight him all the way to Yama to identify the truth!" The other traveler echoed him, and they began to scratch and claw at each other, quickly disappearing from sight. Zhu Bajie looked at Sha Monk and asked, "When you went to the Waterfall Cave, why didn’t you take back the fake Bajie who was carrying our luggage?" Sha Monk sighed, "That demon saw me strike the fake Sha Monk with my precious staff, and it surrounded me trying to catch me. I had to escape to save my life. Later, I went to complain to the Bodhisattva. When I went to the cave with the traveler, they fought in the air. I attempted to overturn his stone bench, scattering his little demons, but only saw a waterfall flowing down, having no idea where the cave entrance was, so I returned empty-handed to report to Master."
Zhu Bajie laughed, "You don’t know, when I invited him here two years ago, I first saw him outside the cave entrance. He got angry when I spoke to him and jumped down to change clothes. I saw him dive into the water; that waterfall is the cave entrance. I suspect that demon hid our luggage inside." Upon hearing this, Tang Seng’s eyes lit up: "Since you know the entrance, let’s take advantage of them not being home to retrieve the luggage from the cave, and we can continue our journey to the West." Zhu Bajie excitedly said, "I’ll go!" But Sha Monk worriedly said, "Second Brother, there are thousands of little monkeys in front of that cave; you might not be able to handle them alone, which could be problematic." Zhu Bajie laughed, "Not afraid! Not afraid!" Saying this, he hurriedly left, riding clouds to Flower-Fruit Mountain to retrieve the luggage, not saying anything further.
Meanwhile, the two travelers had fought their way to the back of Yin Mountain, scaring the ghosts in the mountains into trembling and hiding. Some timid ones even rushed into the gates of the underworld, urgently reporting to the Hall of Yama: "Great King, there are two Equal-to-Heaven Great Sages fighting on the back of Yin Mountain!" This caused a panic, and King Qin Guang immediately relayed the message to King Chu Jiang, King Song Di, King Bian Cheng, King Yan Luo, King Ping Deng, King Tai Shan, King Du Shi, King Wu Guan, and King Zhuan Lun. The Ten Kings gathered quickly and notified King Dizang. Thus, the ghost soldiers gathered in the Hall of Yama, ready to capture the true and false.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and a grim mist spread as the two travelers rolled into the Hall of Yama. The Lord of the Underworld blocked their path and asked, "Great Sages, why are you causing a ruckus in my realm?" The Great Sage replied, "I was protecting Tang Seng on his journey to the West. While passing through the Western Liang Kingdom, I was ambushed by bandits, and I ended up killing a few of them. Master blamed me and sent me back. I then went to the South Sea to complain to the Bodhisattva, but unexpectedly, that demon disguised itself as me and knocked Master down on the way, stealing our luggage. Sha Monk went to Flower-Fruit Mountain to find the bag, but this demon used my name to seek scriptures in the West. Sha Monk went to the South Sea to see the Bodhisattva; I was nearby, and he told the Bodhisattva what happened. The Bodhisattva ordered us to go to Flower-Fruit Mountain to check, but this demon occupied my home. We argued in front of the Bodhisattva, and indeed, our appearances and speech were identical, making it difficult for the Bodhisattva to tell the truth from the falsehood. Later, we fought to the heavens, and even the gods couldn’t distinguish between us, which is why we ended up in the underworld. I hope the Lord of the Underworld can check the Book of Life and Death to see the origins of the fake traveler and quickly pursue his soul to prevent confusion." The demon repeated the same thing.
The Lord of the Underworld listened and immediately called for the record-keeping judge to investigate from the beginning, only to find that there was no name of a fake traveler at all. Looking at the records, it turned out that the monkey's name had disappeared long ago—specifically, during the Great Sage's childhood when he caused a commotion in the underworld. All names associated with monkeys were absent.
Once the investigation was complete, the Lord of the Underworld was about to report back to the travelers when he suddenly heard the voice of King Dizang: "Stop! Stop! Let me listen to your claims of truth and falsehood." This Bodhisattva had a little pet named Di Ting, who was responsible for hearing various news. If it lay on the ground, it could instantly hear the happenings across the Four Continents, distinguishing even between small insects, immortals, and spirits.
After listening, Di Ting raised its head and said to Dizang, "There are indeed strange names, but I cannot reveal them directly; it won’t help you catch him." Dizang asked, "Why can’t you say it?" Di Ting replied, "If I say it directly, the demon will surely get angry and disturb the treasure hall, which would be disastrous." Dizang asked again, "Then why can’t you help catch him?" Di Ting explained, "The demon, like the Great Sage, possesses supernatural powers. How much power can the deities of the underworld have? Therefore, it cannot be captured."
Upon hearing this, Dizang was intrigued: "Then how can we get rid of him?" Di Ting replied, "Buddhist teachings are boundless." Upon hearing this, Dizang immediately understood and turned to the travelers, saying, "You two look exactly alike, and your powers are similar. To distinguish the truth from the falsehood, you must go to Thunder Sound Temple to find Shakyamuni Buddha." Both travelers responded in unison, "Well said! We will go to the Western Paradise to identify the truth!" Thus, the Ten Kings of Hell escorted them out, and Dizang thanked them before returning to Cuiyun Palace, closing the gates of the underworld.
As for the two travelers, they flew through the clouds straight to the Western Paradise. A poem attests: "When a person has two hearts, calamities arise; doubts and suspicions spread to the ends of the earth. Wishing for fine horses and high positions, yet recalling the golden throne's prestige. Battling south and north without rest, blocking east and removing west remains uncertain. In the Zen gate, one must learn the no-mind mantra, quietly nurturing the infant to form the holy fetus." The two were grappling in mid-air, shouting all the way to the Thunder Sound Temple at the Spirit Vulture Mountain in the Western Paradise. There, the Four Great Bodhisattvas, Eight Great Vajra, Five Hundred Arhats, Three Thousand Guardians, and various great sages gathered beneath the Seven Treasures Lotus Platform to listen to the Buddha's teachings.
At that moment, the Buddha was saying, "There is not being in being, nor non-being in non-being. Not color in color, nor emptiness in emptiness..." The audience was captivated when suddenly the Buddha descended heavenly flowers, scattering them everywhere, leaving his throne to address everyone: "You all have one heart; look at these two hearts in conflict." When everyone looked up, they indeed saw two travelers fighting, their shouts shaking the heavens and disturbing the tranquility of the Thunder Sound Paradise.
The Eight Great Vajra, seeing this, quickly stepped forward to block them: "Where are you two going?" The Great Sage, looking righteous, replied, "The demon is impersonating me and wants to go to the Lotus Platform below to have the Buddha distinguish between us!" Upon hearing this, the Vajra could not resist and hurriedly knelt before the Buddha, saying, "Disciple is protecting Tang Seng to seek the true scriptures. On the way, I encountered a demon and expended considerable effort. Earlier, I encountered strong bandits and injured a few; Master blamed me and sent me back to the South Sea. Helpless, I went to see Guanyin to complain, but unexpectedly, this demon disguised itself as me, knocked down Master, and stole our luggage. Sha Monk went to find me but was deceived by the demon's sweet words. After Guanyin learned of this, she instructed me and Sha Monk to go find the demon together."
The Vajra recounted the events in unison, leaving everyone confused, but only the Buddha understood what was happening. Just as he was about to explain, he suddenly saw Guanyin Bodhisattva coming from the colorful clouds in the south, quickly approaching to pay respects to the Buddha.
The Buddha clasped his hands and said, "Guanyin, can you discern which of the two travelers is real and which is fake?" The Bodhisattva replied, "A few days ago, I was in the wilderness and truly couldn’t tell. Later, they went to the heavenly palace and the underworld, yet it remained difficult to distinguish, so I specially came to ask the Buddha for help." The Buddha smiled and said, "Although your powers are great, you can only understand the happenings around you; you cannot recognize everything."
The Bodhisattva listened and quickly inquired about the types of celestial beings. The Buddha then slowly explained, “In the heavenly realm, there are five types of beings: Heaven, Earth, Deities, Humans, and Ghosts; there are also five insects: worms, scales, fur, feathers, and insects. This demon is neither from Heaven nor Earth, not a deity nor a human, and certainly not an insect or bird. Additionally, there are four monkeys that disrupt the world, which do not belong to any of these ten categories.” The Bodhisattva curiously asked, “Which four monkeys are those?” The Buddha continued, “The first is the Lingming Stone Monkey, who can transform and understands the timing and geography; the second is the Chìqiú Mǎhóu, adept in yin and yang and human affairs; the third is the Tōngbì Yóuhóu, who can grasp the sun and moon and discern fortune and misfortune; the fourth is the Liù'ěr Míhóu, skilled in listening, capable of understanding principles and comprehending all things.”
At that moment, the Liù'ěr Míhóu, hearing its true form mentioned by the Buddha, felt fear and immediately leaped to escape. Seeing this, the Buddha commanded everyone to act, and the Four Bodhisattvas and Eight Vajra quickly surrounded him. The Great Sage also wanted to step forward, but the Buddha stopped him: “Wukong, do not act; let me catch him!” The Liù'ěr Míhóu, panicking, transformed into a bee and flew away. However, the Buddha covered the bee with his golden bowl.
Everyone was unaware of what had happened and thought the demon had escaped. At this moment, the Buddha smiled and said, “Do not worry, the demon has not left; he is hiding under my bowl.” Everyone lifted the bowl, and indeed, they saw the true form of the Liù'ěr Míhóu. Upon seeing this, the Great Sage couldn’t help but strike him with his iron rod, killing him instantly. At this, the Buddha, feeling pity, softly said, “Well done! Well done!”
The Great Sage, however, was dissatisfied: “The Buddha should not show mercy to him; he injured my master and stole our luggage. He deserves punishment!” The Buddha advised, “You should quickly protect Tang Seng; seeking the scriptures is urgent.” The Great Sage bowed in gratitude: “Buddha, I know Master will definitely not want me. If I go and he does not accept me, wouldn’t that be in vain? I hope the Buddha will recite a spell to loosen my golden hoop and let me return!” The Buddha replied, “Do not think that way; do not give up. I will have Guanyin send you, and I assure you that he will accept you. Protect him well, and once your mission is accomplished, you can return to the Western Paradise and sit on a lotus seat.”
After hearing this, Guanyin clasped her hands in gratitude and led Wukong away on a cloud, followed closely by the Wooden Fork Traveler and the White Parrot. Soon, they arrived at the grass hut, where Sha Monk hurriedly welcomed his master. The Bodhisattva informed Tang Seng: “The one who attacked you a few days ago was the fake traveler, the Liù'ěr Míhóu. Luckily, the Buddha knew and has already had Wukong kill him. You must now accept Wukong; he will protect you so that you can successfully reach Lingshan to see the Buddha and obtain the scriptures. Do not be angry anymore.” Tripitaka immediately bowed his head: “I will follow your teachings!”
Just as he was expressing his thanks, a sudden strong wind blew from the east. Everyone looked and saw that it was Zhu Bajie, carrying two bundles, arriving on the wind. Seeing the Bodhisattva, the fool immediately bowed: “Disciple left Master a few days ago to go to the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, found the bundles, and killed the fake Tang Seng and fake Bajie, who turned out to be two monkeys. After checking, none of the bundles were missing.” The Bodhisattva recounted what had happened with the Buddha, and Bajie was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.
The master and disciples thanked each other, and the Bodhisattva returned to the sea. Everyone restored their harmony and cleared their hearts. They then organized their belongings and prepared to set off westward. It was indeed: “On the middle path, chaos separates the five elements; defeating demons gathers to unite the primordial brightness. When the spirit returns to the heart, the Zen is settled; the six senses dispel and the elixir forms by itself.” Will they successfully see the Buddha and obtain the scriptures on this journey? Stay tuned for the next episode.
Sun Wukong was feeling quite down as he flew through the sky, thinking about returning to the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. But he worried that the little demons would laugh at him, thinking he was no real man. He considered going to the Heavenly Palace but feared he wouldn’t be welcome there. He thought about visiting the islands but felt too shy to face the immortals. He even contemplated going to the Dragon Palace but didn’t want to beg the Dragon King. With nowhere to go, he sighed and thought, “Forget it, I’ll just go see my master. Maybe I can earn some merit.” So, he landed directly in front of Tang Seng’s horse and respectfully said, “Master, I truly made a mistake this time!”
He then assured him, “I won’t harm anyone again; I promise to listen to you and ensure your journey to the West goes smoothly!” Tang Seng, seeing this, felt even more displeased. He pulled on the reins and began reciting the Tightening Spell, repeating it over twenty times until Sun Wukong fell to the ground, the spell deeply embedded in his flesh. Only then did he stop and ask, “Why are you here again? Aren’t you supposed to go back?”
Sun Wukong panicked, “Don’t recite it! I have a place to stay, but I’m afraid I can’t go to the West without you.” Tang Seng was furious: “You monkey! You’ve killed so many people and caused me so much trouble! I don’t need you now! Get lost! If you don’t leave soon, I’ll recite the spell again and really squeeze your brain out!” Sun Wukong couldn’t stand the pain. Seeing his master unwilling to forgive him, he had no choice but to ride his cloud and fly up into the sky, thinking, “This monk has betrayed me. I need to tell Guanyin at Mount Putuo!”
He turned back on his cloud and soon reached the South Sea, landing gracefully in the Purple Bamboo Forest of Mount Luojia. Just then, he bumped into the Wood Fork Walker, who asked, “Great Sage, where are you going?” Sun Wukong replied, “I need to see the Bodhisattva.” The Wood Fork immediately led him to the entrance of the Tide Sound Cave, where he encountered the boy Shancai, who greeted him, “Great Sage, what brings you here?” Sun Wukong said, “I have something to report to the Bodhisattva.”
Shancai laughed, “What a sharp-tongued monkey! You’re just like when I was captured by you! The Bodhisattva is full of compassion and saves those in suffering. What do you want to tell me?” Sun Wukong was furious and shouted, “You ungrateful little creature, how foolish! I brought you to the Bodhisattva, and now you enjoy this fortune without thanking me, instead you mock me!” Shancai chuckled, “Don’t be so quick to anger; I was just joking!”
At that moment, a white parrot flew in, clearly summoned by the Bodhisattva. The Wood Fork and Shancai quickly took Sun Wukong to the Baolian Terrace. As soon as Sun Wukong saw the Bodhisattva, he knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and cried loudly. The Bodhisattva comforted him, “Wukong, don’t be sad. Speak quickly; I’m here to help you.” With tears in his eyes, Sun Wukong bowed again, saying, “I’ve endured so much humiliation! I wanted to protect Tang Seng on his journey to the West, but instead, he misunderstood me. It’s driving me crazy!”
The Bodhisattva asked, “What exactly happened?” Sun Wukong then recounted the whole story in detail.
It turned out that Tang Seng held a grudge against Sun Wukong for killing many bandits and, without understanding the situation, recited the Tightening Spell to drive him away. The Bodhisattva said, “Tang Seng is on a mission to the West, intending to do good. How could he easily harm others? You have so many skills; why resort to killing bandits? Although they are not good, they are still human and shouldn’t be treated that way.” Hearing this, Sun Wukong bowed his head in tears, saying, “Although I’m not good, I still hope to atone for my sins. I ask the Bodhisattva to recite the Loose Spell and let me return to the Water Curtain Cave!” The Bodhisattva laughed and said, “The Tightening Spell was given to me by the Tathagata. When I went to the East to obtain scriptures, I received three treasures. There’s no such thing as a Loose Spell!”
Sun Wukong felt disappointed upon hearing this. “Then I’ll take my leave, Bodhisattva.” The Bodhisattva asked, “Where will you go?” Sun Wukong replied, “I’ll go to the West to ask the Tathagata for the Loose Spell.” The Bodhisattva said, “Don’t rush; let me check on Tang Seng’s situation.” Sun Wukong said, “No need to check; it’s definitely not good.” The Bodhisattva replied, “I’m not checking on you; I’m checking on Tang Seng.” The Bodhisattva sat on the lotus platform, focused on the three realms, and soon said, “Wukong, your master is about to face a serious injury and will soon come looking for you. Stay here and let me talk to Tang Seng, so he can join you in the journey to complete your mission.”
Sun Wukong had no choice but to obediently stay under the Baolian Terrace. Meanwhile, Tang Seng, feeling displeased after driving away Sun Wukong, asked Zhu Bajie to lead the horse and Sha Seng to carry the luggage. They traveled westward for less than fifty miles. Tang Seng halted the horse, thinking, “Since we left the village at dawn and have been troubled by the Horse Keeper, I’m now hungry and thirsty. Who will go get some food for me?” Zhu Bajie said, “Master, you get off the horse first; I’ll see if there’s a village nearby.” Upon hearing this, Tang Seng immediately dismounted.
Zhu Bajie flew up on his cloud and looked around carefully, but all he saw were mountains, with no sign of any houses. He landed and told Tang Seng, “There’s no place to get food; it’s all mountains here.” Tang Seng replied, “Then we need to find some water to quench our thirst.” Zhu Bajie said, “I’ll go to the South Mountain Stream to get some water.” Sha Seng handed him a bowl, and Zhu Bajie took the bowl and set off on his cloud. Tang Seng sat by the roadside waiting for a long time, feeling very thirsty and having to endure it. At this moment, a poem came to mind: “Nurturing the spirit is called essence; emotions and nature are originally one. When the heart is disturbed and the spirit is confused, sickness arises, and the body declines.”
Seeing that Tang Seng was suffering from hunger and thirst and that Zhu Bajie hadn’t returned, Sha Seng steadied the luggage and tied the white horse, saying, “Master, you wait here; I’ll go urge him to hurry.” Tang Seng nodded silently, tears in his eyes, and Sha Seng hurried off on his cloud toward the South Mountain.
At this moment, Tang Seng, feeling quite miserable, suddenly heard a loud voice. Startled, he leaned out to look and saw Sun Wukong kneeling by the roadside, holding a clay cup with both hands, smiling, and saying, “Master, without me, you wouldn’t even have water to drink! Here’s some cool water; have a sip to quench your thirst, and I’ll go get some food.” Tang Seng immediately waved his hand, saying, “I won’t drink your water! I’d rather die of thirst than take anything from you! Go away!” Sun Wukong was displeased, “Without me, you can’t reach the West!”
Tang Seng became even angrier: “Whether I can go or not has nothing to do with you! You mischievous monkey, don’t bother me again!” Sun Wukong’s expression changed, filled with rage, and he shouted at Tang Seng, “You heartless bald donkey, you’re really despicable!” After saying this, he threw down the clay cup, swung his iron staff, and struck Tang Seng on the back. Tang Seng immediately fainted and couldn’t say a word. Sun Wukong grabbed two green bundles, rode his cloud, and flew away, leaving everyone helpless.
At this moment, Zhu Bajie was running toward the southern slope with the bowl. Suddenly, he noticed a thatched hut in a hollow of the mountain. He thought to himself, “I didn’t see this before; it’s a great place! If I use this ugly mouth to get food, it won’t work! I need to make myself look better!” So, Zhu Bajie performed a spell, muttered an incantation, shook himself seven or eight times, and transformed into a chubby monk with a wasting disease, mumbling as he walked to the door, calling out, “Benefactor, do you have any leftover rice? My master is hungry on the road.”
The woman in the house saw his sickly appearance and felt a bit scared, thinking he might faint at the door. She had no choice but to give him a bowl of leftover rice. Zhu Bajie was delighted to receive the food, but suddenly heard someone calling, “Bajie!” He looked up and saw Sha Seng on the cliff shouting, “Come here! Come here!” Sha Seng climbed down and asked, “Where have you been?” Zhu Bajie smiled and said, “I went over there to get some dry rice!” Sha Seng replied, “We have food now, but Master is very thirsty. Where’s the water?”
Zhu Bajie slapped his forehead, “Water is easy! You hold the food in your robe, and I’ll go fetch water.” The two happily started back, but when they reached the road, they saw Tang Seng lying in the dust, the white horse neighing beside him, and their luggage was gone. Zhu Bajie panicked, thinking, “This must be the work of Sun Wukong’s followers, coming to rob Master and our belongings!” Sha Seng said, “Quick, tie up the horse!” Zhu Bajie, anxious, pounded his chest, “This is terrible! We’ve really hit a dead end!”
He shouted, “Master!” Tears streamed down his face as he cried. Zhu Bajie said, “Brother, don’t cry. Now that things are this way, let’s put aside the journey for scriptures. Looking at Master’s corpse, I’ll sell the horse to buy a coffin and bury him, and we’ll part ways.” Sha Seng felt reluctant, helped Tang Seng up, and gently said, “Poor Master!” At that moment, Tang Seng surprisingly exhaled warm breath and woke up, calling out, “Bajie, you’re here!” Only then did Zhu Bajie approach and help his master up.
After Tang Seng woke up, he scolded, “What a mischievous monkey, actually hitting me!” Sha Seng and Zhu Bajie quickly asked, “Which monkey?” Tang Seng sighed, took a few sips of water, and then said, “You just left, and Wukong came to bother me again. I refused to accept him, and he hit me with a stick and stole my luggage.” Upon hearing this, Zhu Bajie gritted his teeth in anger, “That mischievous monkey is truly too rude!” He turned to Sha Seng and said, “You take care of Master here; I’ll go find him and get the luggage back!”
Sha Seng replied, “Don’t be hasty. Let’s first help Master to that house over there, have some hot tea, eat something, and then go look for him.” Zhu Bajie nodded in agreement, helped Tang Seng onto the horse, and took the bowl, heading straight for the house. When they arrived, they found only an old woman inside. Seeing them come, she hurriedly tried to hide. Sha Seng joined his hands in greeting and said, “Old mother, we are from the Tang Dynasty in the East, traveling to the West to obtain scriptures. Our master is unwell, and we’ve come to ask you for some hot tea.”
The old woman replied, “Just now, a monk with a wasting disease claimed to be from the East and went to ask for food. Why are you here again?”
Zhu Bajie couldn’t help but laugh, “Haha, that was me! Because my mouth is big and my ears are long, I was afraid you’d be scared and refuse to give me food, so I transformed myself like that! If you don’t believe me, I have your leftover rice right here in my pocket!” Upon hearing this, the old woman recognized the rice as Zhu Bajie’s and immediately welcomed them in, inviting them to sit down and even boiling some hot tea for Sha Seng to prepare the rice.
Sha Seng soaked the cold rice and handed it to Tang Seng. After eating a few bites, Tang Seng felt a bit steadier and asked, “Who will go get the luggage?”
Zhu Bajie patted his chest, “I’ll go! I was sent back by Master last year, so I know he’s at the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. Wait for me!” Tang Seng shook his head, “You can’t go; Sun Wukong has a grudge against you. You speak rudely, and if you anger him, he might hit you again. Let Wujing go.” Sha Seng nodded, “I’ll go, I’ll go!” Tang Seng reminded him, “When you go, assess the situation. If he’s willing to give you the luggage, pretend to thank him; if he isn’t, don’t argue. Just go to the South Sea and ask the Bodhisattva for help.”
Sha Seng listened and said to Zhu Bajie, “I’m going to find him, but you mustn’t cause any trouble. Just take good care of Master.” Zhu Bajie nodded, “I understand, but you must come back quickly. Don’t let it turn out like last time, leaving us in a worse situation!” Sha Seng performed a spell, rode his cloud, and headed straight for the Eastern Victory Divine Continent. Along the way, he thought, “I wonder when I’ll be back this time; it’s truly unpredictable!”
Sha Seng flew for three days and nights before finally reaching the Eastern Ocean. Hearing the sound of waves, he looked down to see black mist swirling, heavy with ominous energy, and the surface of the sea shimmering coldly. He had no mood to appreciate the scenery and quickly flew toward Flower-Fruit Mountain. After a while, he finally saw the towering peaks and steep cliffs. Sha Seng navigated down the mountain on his cloud and made his way toward the Water Curtain Cave. As he got closer, he heard a commotion inside. It turned out that Sun Wukong was sitting on a stone platform, holding a piece of paper and reading aloud, “The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li, commands…”
Sha Seng couldn’t help but shout, “Elder Brother, why are you reading Master’s decree?” Sun Wukong quickly looked up but didn’t recognize Sha Seng and shouted, “Catch him! Catch him!” The monkeys surrounded Sha Seng and dragged him over. Seeing this, Sha Seng hurriedly bowed and said, “I’m here for Master. He misunderstood you and sent you away. Master is thirsty, so I came to find water. I didn’t expect you to hit him again and steal our luggage. I hope you can forgive him and let us all go to the West to obtain the scriptures together!”
Sun Wukong sneered, “Hmph, I don’t like what you’re saying. I hit Tang Seng and stole the luggage not because I don’t want to go to the West. I have my own way to go to the Buddha and seek scriptures. Who needs him?” Sha Seng became anxious, “Elder Brother, that’s not right. The Buddha sent us to obtain scriptures. Without Tang Seng, who can pass on the teachings to you? Isn’t that a waste of effort?”
Sun Wukong was dismissive, “You’re right, but I have a true monk here whom I can support on my own.” After saying this, he called for the little demons to bring out a fake Tang Seng. Upon seeing this, Sha Seng was filled with rage and raised his demon-slaying staff, ready to strike, “You monkey, dare to impersonate me, Old Sha!” As a result, with one strike, he killed a monkey spirit.
Sun Wukong was furious, raising his golden staff and surrounding Sha Seng with the monkeys. Sha Seng struggled desperately and finally found a way to escape, thinking, “This mischievous monkey is really lazy; I need to go find the Bodhisattva!” He turned around and vanished without a trace. Seeing this, Sun Wukong didn’t pursue him but returned to the cave to instruct the little demons to drag away the dead monkey spirit, skin it, and prepare for a feast. Then, he found another monkey that could transform and turned it into Sha Seng, continuing to plot their journey to the West.
Sha Seng rode his cloud and flew all day, finally arriving at the South Sea. As he leisurely flew along, he suddenly spotted Mount Potalaka ahead and felt a surge of joy. He quickly lowered his cloud to take a good look at this beautiful place. What a wonderful destination! The scenery around was simply breathtaking, with rushing waters and crashing waves, resembling a fairyland. The flying peacocks and colorful parrots were chirping in the trees, making one feel refreshed and uplifted.
As soon as Sha Seng landed, he soon saw the Wood Fork Walker approach him, saying, “Sha Wujing, why aren’t you protecting Tang Seng and have come here instead?” Sha Seng quickly bowed, “I have matters to discuss with the Bodhisattva; could you please introduce me?” The Wood Fork Walker understood that Sha Seng was looking for Sun Wukong and didn’t say much, directly leading him to see the Bodhisattva. Sun Wukong, hearing this from below, couldn’t help but laugh, “Tang Seng must be in trouble; Sha Seng has come to ask the Bodhisattva for help.”
When Sha Seng met the Bodhisattva and was about to speak, Sun Wukong couldn’t wait any longer and suddenly swung his demon-slaying staff directly at the Wood Fork Walker. Sun Wukong dodged to the side, and Sha Seng angrily shouted, “You mischievous monkey, you’re truly incorrigible! You come here to show off in front of the Bodhisattva again!” The Bodhisattva called out, “Wujing, don’t act rashly. If there’s something to discuss, tell me first.” Sha Seng put away his staff and angrily said to the Bodhisattva, “This monkey has caused trouble all along the way. Just a few days ago, he killed two robbers, and Master scolded him. Then he went to a bandit’s lair at night, beat up a group of thieves, and brought back their heads to scare Master, who fell off his horse in fright and sent him away. As a result, he saw that I and Bajie weren’t around, came back, hit Master again, and stole our luggage!”
After Sha Seng vented his grievances, the Bodhisattva shook his head, “Wujing, don’t blame others. Wukong has been here for four days; I haven’t let him go back. Does he really intend to go obtain the scriptures on his own?” Sha Seng became anxious, “But I saw a Sun Wukong in the Water Curtain Cave; how could I not be suspicious?”
The Bodhisattva replied, “In that case, don’t rush. Have Wukong go with you to Flower-Fruit Mountain to take a look. It’s hard to distinguish truth from falsehood; once you get there, it will become clear.” Sun Wukong, hearing this, immediately bid farewell to the Bodhisattva, and the two set off for Flower-Fruit Mountain, preparing to uncover the truth about the Water Curtain Cave. As for what will happen next, we’ll discuss it next time!
Once upon a time, the high monk Tang Seng had really put his life on the line to keep himself safe. He was grateful that the Monkey King and his friends had killed the Scorpion Demon and rescued the Pipa Cave. They traveled along the road in silence, enjoying the beautiful weather of the Zhu Ming season, with the fragrance of wild orchids filling the air and the coolness of the bamboo after the rain. The mountains were covered with mugwort, untouched by harvesters, and the cattails by the stream were blooming beautifully. The sea hibiscus flowers were vibrant, and bees buzzed happily around them. Under the shade of the willows by the stream, the yellow orioles chirped joyfully. Just as Tang Seng and his disciples were admiring the beautiful scenery of the Dragon Boat Festival, they suddenly encountered a high mountain blocking their path.
The elder halted his horse and turned to Wukong, saying, “Wukong, there’s a mountain ahead. I’m afraid there might be a monster; we need to be careful.” The others quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, Master! We’ve already pledged our loyalty; what monster can scare us?” Hearing this, the elder felt relieved and urged his horse to speed up, letting go of the reins as they charged up the mountain. Before long, they climbed up the cliff and looked up to see a breathtaking view: the pines and cypresses touching the clouds, wild vines hanging from the rocky walls. The mountain was steep, with sheer cliffs that made one tremble at the sight.
After walking for quite a while, they finally crossed the mountain peak and arrived at a flat area. Pigsy, feeling a bit showy, started boasting and let Sha Seng carry the burden while he held the rake in both hands to drive the horse. But the horse didn’t seem to care about him at all and continued to plod along slowly. Seeing this, Wukong laughed and said, “Brother, why are you rushing the horse? Just let it walk at its own pace.” Pigsy, noticing the sun was setting and feeling hungry, replied, “We’ve been walking for so long; we need to find a place to eat some vegetarian food.” Wukong thought for a moment and decided to teach the horse to go faster. He waved his golden staff and shouted, and the horse immediately galloped off, charging ahead. It was clear that the horse wasn’t afraid of Pigsy but was most afraid of Wukong, especially since five hundred years ago, he was the Imperial Horse Keeper appointed by the Jade Emperor, and even horses had to listen to him.
Just as they were on their way, they suddenly heard the sound of gongs, and over thirty people sprang out from both sides of the road, each armed with knives, guns, and clubs, blocking their way. “Monks! Where are you going?” Tang Seng was so scared that he tumbled off his horse and crouched in the grass by the roadside, pleading, “Great King, spare my life! Great King, spare my life!” The two strongmen in front coldly replied, “We’re not going to harm you; we just want some money.” The elder then realized they were robbers. Looking up, he saw one with a green face and sharp teeth and the other with bulging eyes, resembling a fierce tiger from the Ba Mountain, truly a pair of fearsome villains.
Tang Seng’s heart tightened, and he quickly clasped his hands together, saying, “Great King, I am sent by the Tang Emperor from the East, specifically to fetch scriptures from the West. The journey has been long, and our money has run out. We monks rely on alms for our survival; we have no wealth!” But the two bandit leaders were not convinced and coldly said, “We’re here to intercept travelers for money. If you have none, then quickly take off your clothes, leave the white horse behind, and we’ll let you pass!” Upon hearing this, Tang Seng thought to himself, “I worked hard for these clothes; I can’t just let them take them off me!” He hurriedly replied, “Amitabha! This outfit was given to me by various donors, piece by piece. If you strip me, aren’t you taking my life?”
The robber, furious, raised his club to strike. Tang Seng thought, “Oh dear, I really don’t know how powerful my disciple’s staff is!” In a moment of desperation, he came up with an idea: “What if I say I have a little disciple behind me who still has some silver?” The robber, sensing that this monk was not simple, immediately ordered, “Tie him up!” The bandits all rushed forward, binding Tang Seng and hanging him from a tree—what a tragic fate!
As it happened, the three troublemakers were rushing over to join the excitement. Pigsy laughed heartily, “Master walks so fast; I wonder where he’s waiting for us.” When he looked up, he was surprised to see the elder hanging from a tree. Pigsy teased, “Look at Master! Not only is he waiting, but he’s also climbing the tree and swinging on the vines!” Wukong, seeing this, quickly said, “You fool, don’t say that! Master is hanging there; I’ll go take a look.” So, the Monkey King hurriedly climbed up the hill, and upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a group of robbers. He secretly rejoiced, “What good fortune! This is a chance to make some money!” He immediately transformed into a clean little monk, dressed in a dark robe and carrying a blue bundle, and walked forward.
“Master, what’s going on? Who are these people?” Wukong asked. Tang Seng, anxious, cried out, “Disciple, hurry and save me! These people are blocking the road and demanding money. I have nothing on me, so they’ve hung me here waiting for you!” Wukong couldn’t help but laugh, “Master, you’re so useless! Who told you to give the dragon horse to them?” Tang Seng replied urgently, “I had no choice but to say you had money!” Wukong frowned, “How could you expose me?” Tang Seng sighed, “I was just anxious and said you had silver.”
Hearing this, Wukong was overjoyed: “Great! If I can really get away with seventy or eighty pieces, I can make a fortune!”
At that moment, the robbers saw Wukong and Tang Seng talking and surrounded them. “Little monk, your master says you have money; hurry and hand it over, or you’re finished!” Wukong set down his bundle and smiled, “Everyone, don’t get excited. My money is in this bundle; it’s not much—only about twenty taels of horse hoof gold and thirty taels of silver powder. The loose change is gone. If you want it, take the whole bundle, but please let my master go!” The robbers were delighted to hear this: “This old monk is stingy, but this little monk is generous!” So, they decided to release Tang Seng.
Once the elder was freed, he jumped on his horse, disregarding Wukong, and whipped the horse to run away. Wukong was anxious, “You’re going the wrong way!” He grabbed his bundle and tried to chase after him, but the robbers stopped him: “Where do you think you’re going? Leave the money behind, or you’ll be punished!” Wukong laughed, “This money must be split three ways.” The bandit leader, furious, exclaimed, “This little monk is too cunning; he wants to keep some for himself! Fine, show us what you have; if there’s more, we’ll share some fruit with you.” Wukong shook his head, “I don’t have any money! You rob others of gold and silver; why would you share with me?”
The robbers were enraged and shouted, “This monk really doesn’t know when he’s in danger! If you don’t give it to us, you won’t leave today!” With that, they raised their clubs and struck Wukong’s bald head several times. Wukong, however, had a smile on his face: “Brothers, if you hit me like this, it won’t work until next spring.” The robbers were astonished: “This monk is really tough!” Wukong laughed, “I wouldn’t dare; I appreciate your kindness.” But the robbers didn’t listen; several of them came together to attack. Wukong had no choice but to say, “Wait until I get something out.” He touched his ear and pulled out a decorative needle: “Everyone, I truly don’t have any money; here’s a needle for you.”
The robbers were infuriated, cursing, “What bad luck! We let go of a rich monk and caught this poor bald donkey instead! Can you sew?” Wukong scoffed, “What do you need a needle for?” With a wave of his hand, the needle instantly transformed into a thick club. The robbers were terrified: “This little monk can actually perform magic!” Wukong planted the club in the ground: “If you can lift it, it’s yours.” Two robbers stepped forward to grab it, but it was like a dragonfly hitting a stone pillar—they couldn’t move it at all.
This club, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, weighed thirteen thousand five hundred pounds; how could the robbers know? Wukong easily lifted it as if tossing a snake and pointed at them: “You’re really lucky to run into me, old Sun!” The robbers swung at him a few more times, and Wukong laughed, saying, “You’re all tired from hitting; let me take a swing!” With that, he expanded the club and struck fiercely, knocking one down, his lips buried in the ground, never to speak again. Another robber shouted, “This bald donkey is truly disrespectful! No money, and he’s hurt me!” Wukong chuckled, “Don’t be anxious; let me take care of you one by one!” With another swing, the second robber fell, scaring the other robbers into dropping their weapons and fleeing in all directions.
Once upon a time, Tang Seng was riding east when he was suddenly stopped by Pigsy and Sha Seng. Pigsy, looking puzzled, asked, “Master, where are you going? This road is wrong!” Tang Seng sighed as he pulled on the horse, saying, “Disciple, hurry and tell your senior brother to go easy and not kill those robbers.” Pigsy immediately replied, “Master, wait here; I’ll go find him!” He then jogged ahead, calling out loudly, “Brother, Master said not to hit anyone!”
Wukong, hearing this, retorted, “Who’s hitting anyone?” Pigsy, anxious, asked, “Where did the robbers go?” Wukong shrugged, “They’ve all scattered; only the two leaders are here sleeping.” Pigsy couldn’t help but laugh, “You two are really out of luck! After staying up all night, why not find a comfortable place to sleep, but instead you end up here!” Upon closer inspection, Pigsy added, “These two are even drooling with their mouths open!” Wukong teased, “I knocked out tofu from their heads!” Pigsy was surprised, “You can have tofu on a person’s head?” Wukong mysteriously replied, “What I knocked out was their brains!”
Upon hearing this, Pigsy hurried back to Tang Seng and said, “They’ve scattered!” Tang Seng looked confused, “Scattered? Where did they go?” Pigsy shook his head anxiously, “They were hit so hard; how could they still walk?” Tang Seng asked, “How do you know they’ve scattered?” Pigsy replied, “If they were dead, how could they not scatter?” Tang Seng pressed, “What do you mean by ‘hit’?” Pigsy answered, “There are two big holes in their heads!” Tang Seng, alarmed, said, “Quick, untie the bundle and take some money to buy some plasters!”
Pigsy laughed so hard he nearly fell over, “Master, you’re really funny! Plasters are for living wounds; what good are they for dead people?” Tang Seng, irritated, muttered to himself and turned to Sha Seng and Pigsy, leading them to the bodies. Seeing the bloody scene, the elder felt very upset.
He told Pigsy, “Quick, get a spade and dig a hole to bury them. I’ll recite some scriptures for them.” Pigsy protested, “Master, are you asking me to do manual labor? Wukong killed them; how can I bury them?” At this moment, Wukong got angry and shouted at Pigsy, “You lazy bum! Hurry up and bury them! If you don’t, you’ll get a beating!” Hearing this, Pigsy panicked and quickly ran down the hillside to dig a hole.
He dug a three-foot-deep pit, but it was full of stones, making it impossible to dig properly. In the end, he could only use his mouth to push, and after much effort, he finally buried the bodies of the two robbers, forming a small mound. Tang Seng called out, “Wukong, quickly get some incense and candles; I want to pray!” Wukong scoffed, “This halfway up the mountain, there’s no village in front and no shop behind; where will you buy incense and candles?”
Tang Seng gritted his teeth in anger, “Monkey, stop talking nonsense; let me sprinkle some dirt and light some incense!” He stood in front of the grave and silently recited, “Brave men, listen to me: My disciple is from the East, sent on a mission to the West to seek scriptures. Just arrived here, I encountered so many of you, not knowing where you came from. I kindly advised you, but you wouldn’t listen and got angry, resulting in my disciple’s stick.”
He continued, “Now your bodies are exposed; I come to bury you. Using green bamboo as incense, though it lacks luster, my heart is sincere; using stones as offerings, though they have no flavor, my intentions are genuine.” At this moment, Pigsy interjected, “Master, don’t shift the blame; we had nothing to do with this beating!” Tang Seng continued to sprinkle dirt and pray, “Brave men, if you’re going to complain, complain about Wukong; it has nothing to do with us!”
Hearing this, Wukong couldn’t help but laugh, “Master, you really have no loyalty! For your sake, I’ve gone through so much effort; now that I’ve killed these two thieves, you want me to take the blame? Although I did it, it was also for you! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have come here at all, let alone kill anyone! How about I bless them instead?” With that, he tightened his grip on his iron rod and struck the grave three times, shouting loudly, “You cursed robbers, listen! I took seven or eight hits from you, and in a fit of rage, I ended up killing you; I’m not afraid of where you go to complain!”
“The Jade Emperor knows me, and the Heavenly Kings fear me; the twenty-eight constellations dread me, and the nine planetary officials fear me; the city gods and local deities must kneel before me; even the Eastern Peak God is afraid of me. No matter the three realms or five divisions, all the rulers know me well; go ahead and complain!” Tang Seng was startled by these words: “Disciple, I’m praying for the good people; why are you speaking so seriously?” Wukong looked innocent, “Master, this isn’t a joke; we should find a place to rest quickly.” Tang Seng had no choice but to reluctantly get back on his horse.
At this moment, Sun Wukong felt a bit displeased, and Pigsy and Sha Seng harbored jealousy, creating a subtle tension among the master and disciples. As they walked west along the main road, they suddenly spotted a farmhouse to the north. Tang Seng pointed with his whip and said, “Let’s stay there for the night.” Pigsy immediately agreed, “Perfect!” So they dismounted and approached the farmhouse.
The place looked nice, with wildflowers everywhere and trees shading the entrance. In the distance, a stream flowed gently, and fields were planted with wheat and sunflowers. Birds perched on the willows, village dogs barked, chickens clucked, and the cows and sheep were full, with the shepherds already home. Smoke curled up, and the millet was ripe; it was just the right time for nightfall in the mountains. As Tang Seng walked forward, he suddenly saw an old man coming out of the farmhouse and quickly greeted him.
The old man asked, “Where are you coming from?” Tang Seng replied, “I am a special envoy from the Eastern Tang Dynasty, here to seek scriptures in the West. It’s getting late, and I would like to stay at your home for the night.” The old man smiled and said, “You’ve come from so far; how did you cross rivers and climb mountains to get here alone?” Tang Seng responded, “I have three disciples with me.” The old man asked, “Where are they?” Tang Seng pointed, “Right by the main road.”
Upon seeing them, the old man was startled and hurried back inside. Tang Seng quickly grabbed him, saying, “Old benefactor, don’t be afraid; I ask you to let us stay for the night!” The old man trembled and shook his head, saying, “No, no, no! They don’t look like humans; they’re clearly monsters!” Tang Seng hurried to explain, “Benefactor, don’t be afraid; they may look ugly, but they are not monsters!” The old man insisted, “Goodness! One is a yaksha, one is a horse-faced spirit, and another is a thunder god!”
At this moment, Wukong shouted, “The thunder god is my grandson, the yaksha is my great-grandson, and the horse-faced spirit is my great-great-grandson!”
Hearing this, the old man was terrified, his face pale, and he tried to flee into the house. Tang Seng quickly supported him, comforting him, “Old benefactor, don’t be afraid; they are just rough and won’t harm anyone.” Just then, an old woman came out, holding a five or six-year-old child. The old woman asked, “Grandpa, why are you so frightened?” The old man hurriedly called, “Mother, quickly bring some tea!”
The old woman went inside and brought out two cups of tea. After drinking the tea, Tang Seng turned to the old woman and said, “I am a special envoy from the Eastern Tang Dynasty sent to the West to seek scriptures. I just arrived at your home and would like to stay for the night, as my three disciples frightened you with their looks.” The old woman laughed and said, “If you’re frightened by the ugly, what would you do if you saw a tiger or a wolf?” The old man added, “Mother, although they are ugly, they are frightening as soon as they open their mouths. I said they looked like yakshas, horse-faced spirits, and thunder gods, and then he himself said the thunder god is his grandson!”
Tang Seng quickly explained, “No, the thunder god is my eldest disciple Wukong, the horse-faced spirit is my second disciple Zhu Wuneng, and the yaksha is my third disciple Sha Wujing. Although they are ugly, they abide by the rules and are not demons!” The old couple finally felt a bit more at ease and hurriedly invited them inside. Tang Seng called for his disciples and reminded them, “The old man had a bad impression of you just now; when you go in, don’t be rude; show some respect.”
Pigsy, full of confidence, said, “I’m handsome; I’m cultured, not like my senior brother who throws tantrums.” Wukong laughed, “You have a big mouth, large ears, and an ugly face, but you’re still a good man.” Sha Seng said, “Stop arguing; this isn’t a place for romantic rivalry; let’s hurry inside!”
So they placed their luggage and horses in the thatched cottage and all sat down after bowing. The old woman was very capable, taking the child to cook and preparing a vegetarian meal for them. After eating, as night gradually fell, the old woman lit a lamp, and everyone chatted in the cottage. Tang Seng asked, “What is your surname, benefactor?” The old man replied, “My surname is Yang.” When asked about his age, the old man said, “I’m seventy-four years old.” Tang Seng then asked, “How many sons do you have?” The old man sighed, “Only one; the child the mother is holding is my grandson.”
Tang Seng inquired with concern, “May I meet your son?” The old man shook his head, “That boy isn’t worth meeting. He makes me sad; I can’t support him, and he’s not home right now.” Tang Seng asked, “Where is he?” The old man sighed, “It’s pitiful! He specializes in doing bad things, robbing and killing! He associates with a group of ruffians; he went out five days ago and hasn’t returned yet.” Tang Seng’s heart tightened upon hearing this, secretly thinking, “Could it be that Wukong was the one who beat him?”
Feeling uneasy, Tang Seng bowed and said, “Goodness, goodness! How could such parents give birth to such a rebellious son!” Wukong stepped forward, saying, “Old man, such an unfilial son only brings trouble to his parents; why keep him around? I’ll go find him and kill him for you!” The old man replied, “I want to get rid of him too, but I have no other family left; even if he’s useless, I must keep him to bury me.”
Sha Seng and Pigsy laughed, saying, “Senior brother, don’t meddle in other people’s business; we’re not the authorities. Their unfilial son has nothing to do with us! Please, benefactor, give us a bundle of grass; we’ll sleep over there and leave at dawn.” The old man immediately got up and took Sha Seng to the backyard to fetch two bundles of straw, allowing them to rest in the straw pile. Wukong led the horse, Pigsy carried the luggage, and they all settled down in the straw pile without mentioning anything else.
Now, within that gang of thieves, there was indeed Old Yang's son. Ever since two of their leaders had been killed by Wukong, they had scattered. By the time it was around four in the morning, Old Yang's son gathered a group of people and came to knock on the door. The old man heard the noise and quickly put on his clothes, saying, “Mother, they’ve come!”
The old woman replied, “Since they’re here, go open the door and let them in.” As soon as the old man opened the door, the gang of thieves shouted, “We’re hungry! We’re hungry!” Old Yang's son rushed inside, waking his wife and urging her to prepare rice for cooking. However, there was no firewood in the kitchen, so he went to the backyard to get some. He asked his wife, “Whose white horse is in the back garden?” His wife replied, “It belongs to the monk from the East who stayed at our house last night. He had a vegetarian meal and is now sleeping in the straw pile.”
Upon hearing this, Old Yang's son excitedly walked out of the cottage, clapping his hands and laughing, “Brothers, what luck! Our enemy is right in our house!” The thieves, curious, asked, “Which enemy?” He proudly announced, “It’s the monk who killed our leader; he’s sleeping in the straw pile!” The thieves were thrilled, exclaiming, “Great! Let’s catch these bald donkeys and chop them into meat paste! Not only can we take revenge, but we can also grab that bag and the white horse!” He added, “Don’t rush; let’s sharpen our knives first. After I finish cooking, we’ll eat and then strike together.”
So, the thieves sharpened their knives and guns. The old man, hearing their plan, quietly went to the backyard and woke Tang Seng and the others, saying, “Those rascals have come; they know you’re here and want to harm you. I can’t bear to see you hurt, so quickly pack your things, and I’ll help you escape through the back door!” Tang Seng was startled by this and quickly bowed in gratitude to the old man, calling for Pigsy to lead the horse, Sha Seng to carry the luggage, and Wukong to take his nine-ringed staff.
The old man opened the back door, allowing them to sneak away while he returned to pretend to sleep. Before long, the gang of thieves had sharpened their weapons, had their fill of food, and as dawn approached, they ran to the garden to check, only to find that Tang Seng and the others had already disappeared. The thieves hurriedly lit torches and searched everywhere, eventually noticing the back door was open, and they shouted, “They left through the back door! Quick, chase them!” Thus, they dashed eastward like flying arrows to pursue.
Tang Seng heard the shouts behind him, turned around, and saw twenty or thirty thieves charging at them with knives and guns. He quickly called out, “Disciples, the thieves are chasing us! What should we do?” Wukong, however, was unconcerned, patting his chest and saying, “Don’t worry; I’ll handle them!” Tang Seng reined in his horse and said, “Wukong, don’t hurt anyone; just scare them off!” But Wukong wouldn’t listen, quickly drawing his golden staff and charging forward, asking, “Where are you going?”
The thieves cursed, “Bald donkey, how dare you! Return our king’s life!” Hearing this, Wukong was furious and immediately swung his staff to fight back. The thieves formed a circle, waving their knives wildly, but Wukong swung his staff and sent them scattering in all directions. The thieves were beaten so badly that they fell apart, some dead, some injured, and the quick ones escaped while the foolish ones met their end.
Tang Seng, seeing so many of them defeated, urged his horse to run west, with Pigsy and Sha Seng closely following. Wukong asked an injured thief, “Who is Old Yang’s son?” The thief groaned, “Grandpa, the one in the yellow clothes is him!” Wukong immediately charged forward, snatched the knife, and cut off the head of the one in yellow, holding it triumphantly as he ran back to Tang Seng, saying, “Master, this is the rebellious son of Old Yang; I’ve brought you his head!”
Tang Seng was terrified upon seeing it, quickly falling off his horse and scolding, “This mischievous monkey scared me to death! Quickly put that head away!” Pigsy stepped forward and kicked the head to the side of the road, covering it with some dirt. Sha Seng then set down his burden and helped Tang Seng up, saying, “Master, please get up.” Tang Seng collected himself on the ground, silently reciting the Tightening Sutra, which caused Wukong to feel his head tightening, turning red with pain as he rolled on the ground, urgently calling, “Stop reciting! Stop reciting!”
Tang Seng recited it more than ten times, and Wukong was in so much pain that he pleaded, “Master, forgive me! Just say what you want; don’t recite anymore!” Only then did Tang Seng stop, saying, “There’s nothing to say; I don’t want you to follow me anymore; you can go back!” Wukong endured the pain and bowed, pleading, “Master, why do you want to send me away?” Tang Seng angrily replied, “You mischievous monkey, you’re too vicious; you’re not fit to seek scriptures! Yesterday, you killed two thieves on the hillside, and I’ve already blamed you for your cruelty. Now, while staying at the old man’s house, you killed his son, ruining lives and disturbing the peace of heaven and earth! I’ve repeatedly advised you, but you show no goodwill. Just go! Lest I recite the incantation again!”
Wukong, hearing this, felt frightened and could only plead, “Don’t recite, don’t recite! I’ll leave right away!” With that, he jumped onto the cloud and instantly disappeared without a trace. Ah, this is indeed: “With a heart of fury, the elixir remains unripe; with a spirit without direction, the path is hard to complete.” As for where the Great Sage went, we’ll talk about that next time!
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