Chapter 92: The Three Monks Do Battle on Azure Dragon Mountain; The Four Stars Capture the Rhinoceros Demons

As the story goes, the Great Sage Sun Wukong, accompanied by Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, rode the wind and clouds northeastward, soon arriving at the entrance of Dark Essence Cave on Azure Dragon Mountain . Descending from their cloud, Bajie was about to smash the door with his rake when Wukong stopped him, saying, "Wait! Let me first go in and see if the master is alive or dead. We can settle accounts with them afterward." Sha Wujing asked, "The door is tightly shut. How can you get in?" Wukong replied, "I have a way."

What a Great Sage! He put away his Golden-Banded Staff, formed a hand seal, and chanted a spell. With a cry of "Change!" he instantly transformed into a firefly . This transformation was truly ingenious, as you can see:

Wukong flew into the cave and saw several ox-demons lying about in a disorderly heap, snoring like thunder, all fast asleep. He then flew to the central hall but found no activity there. The doors in all directions were open, and he could not tell where the three demon chiefs were sleeping. Just as he turned from the hall to fly toward the rear courtyard, he heard weeping. It turned out that Tang Sanzang was locked up in the back, tied to a pillar under the eaves, crying. Wukong listened quietly to what he was lamenting, and heard the master weep:

Hearing this, Wukong felt overjoyed. He spread his wings and flew to his master's side. Tang Sanzang wiped away his tears and said, "Ah! The Western lands are truly different. It is only the first month of the year; the insects have just awakened. How can there be fireflies flying already?" Wukong could not help but call out, "Master, I am here!" Tang Sanzang said happily, "Wukong, I was wondering how there could be fireflies in the first month. So it is you!"

Wukong immediately changed back to his true form and said, "Master, just because you could not tell the false from the true, you have caused so many delays and wasted so much effort! I told you from the start that those were not good people, but you insisted on bowing to them. As a result, this demon dimmed the lanterns, stole the Suhe aromatic oil , and captured you as well. At that time, I ordered Bajie and Sha Wujing to return to the temple to watch the luggage while I followed the wind and pursued them here. At first, I did not know where this was, but fortunately, I met the Four Duty Gods who informed me that this mountain is Azure Dragon Mountain and the cave is Dark Essence Cave. I fought with the demons from daylight until dark before returning. After explaining the situation to my brothers, I did not dare to sleep but brought them here instead. I was afraid it would be inconvenient to fight in the dead of night, and I did not know where you were, so I transformed into an insect to come in and investigate." Tang Sanzang quickly asked, "Are Bajie and Sha Wujing outside now?" Wukong replied, "They are outside. When I looked just now, the demons were all asleep. Let me first unlock your chains and smash the door to take you out." Tang Sanzang nodded and thanked him.

Wukong used a spell to unlock the chains. With a touch of his hand, the lock opened. He led his master forward, but as they were walking, they heard the demon king shouting from the inner room of the central hall, "Little ones, close the doors and windows tight. Be careful of fire. Why is no one sounding the night watches anymore? The clappers and bells are silent!" It turned out that the lesser demons, exhausted from a day of fighting, had fallen asleep. Hearing the shout, they woke up. As the clappers and bells rang out, several lesser demons carrying weapons came from the rear, beating gongs, and ran straight into the master and disciple. The lesser demons shouted together, "You monk! You've picked the lock! Where do you think you're going?"

Wukong wasted no words. He pulled out his Golden-Banded Staff, shook it until it was as thick as a bowl, raised it, and struck. One blow killed two lesser demons. The rest dropped their weapons and fled to the central hall, pounding on the door and shouting, "Great King! Disaster! Disaster! The hairy-faced monk is killing people inside the cave!" When the three demon kings heard this, they scrambled to their feet, shouting, "Catch him! Catch him!" Tang Sanzang was so terrified that his hands and feet went limp. Wukong had no time to attend to his master. Brandishing his staff, he charged forward. The lesser demons could not stop him. He knocked down two or three, pushed over two or three, smashed through several layers of doors, and rushed straight out, shouting, "Brothers, where are you?"

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing were waiting with their rakes and demon-subduing staffs raised. They quickly asked, "Elder Brother, what happened?" Wukong told them everything: how he had transformed into an insect to rescue the master, how they had been discovered just as they were leaving, and how he had been forced to fight his way out without being able to save the master.

Meanwhile, the demon king had recaptured Tang Sanzang and chained him up again with iron locks. Holding knives and swinging axes, they lit lamps and asked, "You monk, how did you undo the lock? And how did that monkey get in? Tell the truth now and I will spare your life! Otherwise, I will cut you in two!" Tang Sanzang, trembling with fear, knelt down and said, "Great King, my disciple Sun Wukong can perform seventy-two transformations. Earlier, he turned himself into a firefly and flew in to rescue me. It just so happened that the Great King woke up, and we were discovered by the lesser demons. My disciple, not knowing any better, struck and killed two lesser demons. When everyone shouted and raised their torches, he had no choice but to abandon me and flee."

The three demon kings burst into loud laughter and said, "It's a good thing we discovered it in time, or you would have escaped. Little ones, close the front and back doors tightly and keep quiet."

Sha Wujing said, "They've closed the doors and are keeping quiet. They must be planning to harm the master secretly. Let us attack!" Wukong replied, "You're right! Smash the door!" Bajie, eager to show off his skills, raised his rake and struck with all his might, shattering the stone door to pieces. Then he shouted loudly, "You oil-stealing demons! Send my master out at once!"

The lesser demons inside the cave rolled in fright to report, "Great King, disaster! Disaster! The front door has been smashed in by the monks!" The three demon kings were furious. "These monks are too insolent!" They immediately ordered their armor to be brought and donned it. Taking up their weapons, they led their lesser demons out to meet the enemy. It was now about the third watch of the night, and the moon in the sky was as bright as day.

After the demons emerged, they said not a word but attacked directly with their weapons. Wukong engaged the demon king wielding the battle-axe, Bajie blocked the one with the great sword , and Sha Wujing fought the one armed with the rattan staff . This battle was truly fierce:

The three monks and the three demons fought for a long time without either side gaining the upper hand. The Cold-Averting Great King shouted, "Little ones, advance!" All the lesser demons rushed forward with their weapons, and in an instant, they tripped Bajie and sent him sprawling. Several water-buffalo demons grabbed Bajie by his clothes and dragged him into the cave to bind him. Seeing Bajie captured and hearing the shouting of the ox-demons, Sha Wujing raised his demon-subduing staff and feinted at the Dust-Averting Great King before trying to flee. But he was tripped by the swarm of demons and was also captured and bound.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Wukong mounted his somersault cloud and fled. The lesser demons dragged Bajie and Sha Wujing before Tang Sanzang. When the master saw them, tears streamed down his face. "Pity that you two have also fallen victim to this evil hand! Where has Wukong gone?"

Sha Wujing replied, "When Elder Brother saw we were captured, he fled."

Tang Sanzang said, "Since he has fled, he must be going to seek help. But when will we ever be able to escape?" The master and disciples were all downcast, but we will leave them for now.

Meanwhile, Wukong rode his somersault cloud back to the Temple of Compassionate Clouds. The monks hurriedly came to greet him and asked, "Has Master Tang been rescued?"

Wukong replied, "It is difficult! Difficult! Those demon spirits have immense powers. The three of us fought with their three for a long time, but they called their lesser demons to capture Bajie first, and then Sha Wujing. I was lucky to escape."

The monks said fearfully, "If even you, with your ability to ride clouds and mists, cannot overcome them, I fear that Master Tang may have been harmed."

Wukong said, "No matter! No matter! My master is under the secret protection of the Guardian Deities, the Revealed Spirits, and the Ding-Jia Spirits. Moreover, he has eaten the Ginseng Fruit, so his life cannot be in danger. It's just that the demon spirits' powers are formidable. You take good care of the horse and luggage. I am going up to Heaven to summon reinforcements."

The monks were astonished and asked, "Can you really ascend to Heaven?"

Wukong laughed and said, "The Heavenly Palace was originally my home. In those days, I was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Because I disrupted the Peach Banquet, I was subdued by the Buddha. Now, I have no choice but to protect Tang Sanzang on his pilgrimage to retrieve the scriptures to atone for my sins, clearing away demons along the way. My master was fated to endure this calamity, but you would not know of it." When the monks heard this, they kowtowed and bowed again. Wukong went out the door, gave a loud whistle, and vanished in an instant.

What a Great Sage! He soon arrived outside the Western Gate of Heaven. There he saw the Great White Planet, along with the Heavenly King Virudhaka and the Four Great Spirits Yin, Zhu, Tao, and Xu, all talking. When they saw Wukong approach, they quickly bowed and asked, "Great Sage, where are you going?"

Wukong replied, "I am protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Heavenly Kingdom's eastern border, at Golden Peace Prefecture, Min Tian County. Because my master relaxed his meditative mind for a moment, he was captured by demons while watching lanterns on the night of the Lantern Festival. I could not defeat those demons, so I have come especially to petition the Jade Emperor for aid."

The Great White Planet sneered and said, "Great Sage, after fighting with those demons for half a day, did you not recognize their origin?"

Wukong replied, "I did recognize them as a band of ox-demons, but their powers are too great, and I truly cannot subdue them."

The Great White Planet said, "They are three rhinoceroses that have become spirits. Because they are aided by celestial phenomena, they have cultivated themselves for many years and gained the ability to ride clouds and mists. These demons are particularly fond of cleanliness, always detesting their own shadows as dirty, and they often bathe in water. Their kind is numerous: there are the male rhinoceros, the female rhinoceros, the spotted rhinoceros, and also the Hu Mao rhinoceros, the Duo Luo rhinoceros, and the Tong Tian Hua Wen rhinoceros. They all have one nostril, three tufts of hair, and two horns, and they can open waterways in rivers and seas. These three—Cold-Averter, Heat-Averter, and Dust-Averter—are called kings because their horns possess spiritual power. To capture them, one only needs the Four Wood Star Lords to appear, and they will submit."

Wukong quickly bowed and asked, "Who are these Four Wood Star Lords? Please, Elder Chang Geng, explain clearly." The Great White Planet laughed and said, "These four stars are outside the Dipper and Ox Palace, distributed throughout Heaven and Earth. Go and petition the Jade Emperor, and you will know." Wukong clasped his hands in thanks and went straight through the Heavenly Gate.

Before long, Wukong arrived at the Hall of Universal Brightness, where he first met the Four Heavenly Masters: Ge, Qiu, Zhang, and Xu. The Heavenly Masters asked, "Great Sage, where are you going?" Wukong replied, "Recently, I arrived at Golden Peace Prefecture. My master, because he relaxed his meditative mind, was captured by demons while watching lanterns on the night of the Lantern Festival. I cannot subdue the demons, so I have come especially to petition the Jade Emperor for aid." The Four Heavenly Masters immediately led Wukong to the Hall of Miraculous Mist to present his petition. After the formal greetings, Wukong recounted the entire matter.

The Jade Emperor issued a decree, asking, "Which heavenly troops should be dispatched to assist?" Wukong replied, "Just now, at the Western Gate of Heaven, I met the Great White Planet, who told me that the demons are rhinoceroses that have become spirits and that only the Four Wood Star Lords can subdue them." The Jade Emperor immediately ordered Heavenly Master Xu to accompany Wukong to the Dipper and Ox Palace to dispatch the Four Wood Star Lords to descend to the mortal world and subdue the demons.

When they arrived outside the Dipper and Ox Palace, the Twenty-Eight Constellations had already come out to greet them. Heavenly Master Xu said, "I bear the Jade Emperor's decree to dispatch the Four Wood Star Lords to descend to the mortal world with the Great Sage Sun to subdue demons." Immediately, from the side stepped the Horn Wood Dragon, the Winnowing Wood Tiger, the Wolf Wood Wolf, and the Well Wood Dog, who responded, "Great Sage Sun, to what place are you dispatching us to subdue demons?"

Wukong laughed and said, "So it is you! That old man Chang Geng kept it a secret, and I was wondering. If I had known it was the Four Wood Stars from the Twenty-Eight Constellations, I would have come directly to invite you, without troubling the Jade Emperor to issue a decree!" The Four Wood Stars said, "What are you saying, Great Sage! If we do not receive the sacred decree, who would dare to leave our posts? Where are these demons? Let us go quickly."

Wukong replied, "They are at Dark Essence Cave on Azure Dragon Mountain, northeast of Golden Peace Prefecture. They are rhinoceroses that have become spirits."

The Winnowing Wood Tiger, the Wolf Wood Wolf, and the Horn Wood Dragon said, "If it is truly a rhinoceros that has become a spirit, there is no need for all four of us to go. Just the Well Wood Dog alone would be enough. He can eat tigers in the mountains and catch rhinoceroses in the sea."

Wukong said, "This rhinoceros is not an ordinary one that gazes at the moon. It is a spirit that has cultivated the Dao and lived for over a thousand years. All four of you must go together; do not make excuses. If one person cannot catch it, we will have more trouble."

Heavenly Master Xu said, "What are you all saying! The Jade Emperor ordered all four of you to go. How can you refuse? Fly there quickly. I am going back to report the completion of my task." Having said this, the Heavenly Master bid farewell to Wukong and departed.

The Four Wood Stars said, "Great Sage, do not hesitate. You go first to provoke them into battle and lure them out. We will follow up and act." Wukong immediately stepped forward and shouted, "You oil-stealing demons! Return my master to me!" It turned out that the door Bajie had smashed in the middle of the night had been blocked by the lesser demons with a few wooden planks. Hearing the shouting from outside, the lesser demons inside hurriedly reported, "Great King, the Sun monk is outside shouting insults!"

The Dust-Averter said, "He was defeated and fled earlier. How has he returned now after a day? He must have gone to summon reinforcements." The Cold-Averter and Heat-Averter said, "What do we care about his reinforcements! Bring our armor quickly! Little ones, all of you surround him tightly. Do not let him escape." These demons, not knowing their own limits, each took up their weapons and, waving flags and beating drums, came out of the cave. They shouted at Wukong, "You monkey who doesn't know when you're beaten, you're back again!"

Wukong hated being called a "monkey" more than anything. Gritting his teeth in fury, he raised his Golden-Banded Staff and struck. The three demon kings commanded their lesser demons to form a circle, trapping Wukong in the middle. At that moment, the Four Wood Star Lords arrived, each holding their weapons, and shouted, "Evil beasts! Stop your fighting!" When the three demon kings saw the four stars, they were thrown into panic and said, "Disaster! Disaster! He has brought those who can subdue us! Little ones, each of you save yourselves!"

Suddenly, there was a sound of panting and shouting, and all the lesser demons revealed their true forms. They turned out to be mountain-ox demons, water-buffalo demons, and yellow-ox demons, running wildly all over the mountain. The three demon kings also revealed their true forms. Dropping their weapons, they ran on all fours like iron cannonballs, fleeing toward the northeast.

The Great Sage led the Well Wood Dog and the Horn Wood Dragon in hot pursuit, never letting up. The Winnowing Wood Tiger and the Wolf Wood Wolf, meanwhile, scoured the eastern mountain hollows, peaks, mountain streams, and valleys, killing some ox-demons and capturing others alive. They cleaned up the area thoroughly, then went into Dark Essence Cave to rescue Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing.

Sha Wujing recognized the Winnowing Wood Tiger and the Wolf Wood Wolf. He quickly followed Tang Sanzang in bowing to thank them, asking, "How did you two star lords come to rescue us?"

The two stars replied, "The Great Sage Sun petitioned the Jade Emperor, who issued a decree dispatching us to subdue the demons and rescue you."

Tang Sanzang shed tears again and asked, "How is it that my disciple Wukong has not entered?"

The two stars said, "Those three old demons are three rhinoceroses. When they saw us, they fled for their lives toward the northeast. The Great Sage Sun, together with the Well Wood Dog and the Horn Wood Dragon, have pursued them. After we finished off the swarm of demons, we came to rescue you, Holy Monk."

Tang Sanzang kowtowed his thanks again and even bowed to Heaven. Bajie helped him up and said, "Master, too much ceremony becomes insincere. Don't keep bowing. The four star lords came, first, in obedience to the Jade Emperor's decree, and second, out of respect for our elder brother. Now that the swarm of demons has been dealt with, we still don't know how the old demons will be subdued. Let's first gather up some valuable things from the cave, destroy this lair to prevent future trouble, and then return to the temple to wait for elder brother."

The Wolf Wood Wolf said, "The Marshal Tian Peng is right. You and the Curtain-Raising General protect the master and return to the temple to rest. The two of us will go to the northeast to assist."

Bajie said, "Right! Right! The two of you go and help catch the old demons. We must eradicate them root and branch before we can report back to Heaven." The two stars immediately set off in pursuit.

Bajie and Sha Wujing searched the cave and gathered up a large pile of valuables—coral, agate, pearls, amber, fine jade, and gold—and carried them outside. They invited the master to sit on a cliff. Then they went back in, set fire to the cave, and burned Dark Essence Cave to ashes. Only then did they lead Tang Sanzang to find the road back to the Temple of Compassionate Clouds in Golden Peace Prefecture. Truly:

We will not speak of how Tang Sanzang and his disciples were rescued and returned to the temple. Let us instead tell how the two star lords, the Winnowing Wood Tiger and the Wolf Wood Wolf, rode their clouds northeastward in pursuit of the demons. They searched the mid-air but found nothing, so they pursued all the way to the Western Ocean. From afar, they saw the Great Sage Sun shouting on the seashore. They descended their clouds and asked, "Great Sage, where have the demons fled?"

Wukong said angrily, "Why didn't the two of you come to pursue them earlier? Now you come belatedly and ask!" The Winnowing Wood Tiger replied, "When we saw the Great Sage, along with the Well and Horn stars, defeating the demons and pursuing them, we thought you would surely catch them. So we first dealt with the swarm of demons, entered Dark Essence Cave to rescue your master and brothers, searched the mountain, burned the cave, and entrusted your master to your two brothers to be taken back to the Temple of Compassionate Clouds. When we waited a long time and you did not return, we pursued you here."

Hearing this, Wukong turned his anger to joy and thanked them, saying, "In that case, you have also rendered meritorious service. Hard work! Hard work! However, those three demons were pursued by me to this place and have now dived into the sea. The Well Wood Dog and the Horn Wood Dragon are in the midst of the sea, in hot pursuit, and they asked me to guard the shore. Now that you two have arrived, you can first guard the shore, and I will go in to assist."

What a Great Sage! Brandishing his Golden-Banded Staff and forming a hand seal, he parted the waters and charged straight into the depths of the waves. There he saw the three demons fighting desperately underwater with the Well Wood Dog and the Horn Wood Dragon. Wukong leaped over and shouted, "Old Sun is here!" The demons, already hard-pressed by the two star lords, were caught off guard by Wukong's arrival. Panicking, they thought only of saving themselves and turned to flee into the depths of the sea. It turned out that the horns on these demons' heads were especially adept at parting the water. With a sound like "Hua hua hua," they opened a waterway. The two star lords and the Great Sage Sun pursued them from behind.

Now, in the Western Ocean, there was a night patrol yaksha and some patrolling soldiers. From afar, they saw the rhinoceroses parting the waters and recognized the Great Sage Sun and the two star lords. They immediately rushed to the Crystal Palace and reported in panic, "Great King! Three rhinoceroses are being pursued here by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and two heavenly stars!" Hearing this, the Old Dragon King Ao Run immediately ordered his son, Prince Mo Ang, "Quickly dispatch the water troops. This must be those three rhinoceros spirits, Cold-Averter, Heat-Averter, and Dust-Averter, who have offended Sun the Pilgrim. Now that they have come into the sea, lead the troops quickly to help capture them."

Prince Mo Ang received the order and immediately deployed his troops. In a short while, turtles, soft-shelled turtles, giant turtles, alligators, and all kinds of fish-soldiers and shrimp-soldiers, each carrying weapons, charged out of the Crystal Palace with a great shout, blocking the rhinoceroses' path. The rhinoceroses could not go forward. When they tried to retreat, they were blocked by the Well and Horn stars and the Great Sage. Panic-stricken, they scattered in all directions. The Dust-Averter was immediately surrounded by the Old Dragon King's troops. Seeing this, the Great Sage Sun shouted joyfully, "Don't kill them! Don't kill them! Capture them alive! Don't let them die!"

Hearing this, Prince Mo Ang immediately led his men forward, wrestled the Dust-Averter to the ground, pierced its nose with an iron hook, and tied up its hooves. The Old Dragon King then ordered his troops to split up and pursue the other two, assisting the two star lords in capturing them. The young dragon prince immediately led his troops forward. There they saw the Well Wood Dog, having revealed his true form, pinning down the Cold-Averter and devouring it in large mouthfuls. Prince Mo Ang shouted loudly, "Well Star! Well Star! Don't bite it to death! The Great Sage Sun wants it alive, not dead!" But despite the shouting, the Cold-Averter's neck had already been bitten through by the Well Wood Dog.

Prince Mo Ang ordered the shrimp-soldiers and crab-soldiers to carry the dead rhinoceros back to the Crystal Palace, then advanced forward with the Well Wood Dog. They saw the Horn Wood Dragon driving the Heat-Averter back, and they ran straight into the Well Wood Dog. Prince Mo Ang, leading the turtles, soft-shelled turtles, and alligators, formed a winnowing-basket formation and surrounded them. The Heat-Averter could only cry out, "Spare my life! Spare my life!" The Well Wood Dog walked over, grabbed its ear, and snatched away its sword, saying, "I won't kill you! I won't kill you! I will take you to the Great Sage Sun for judgment."

Everyone immediately put away their weapons and returned to the front of the Crystal Palace to report, "All have been captured!" Wukong saw one rhinoceros lying on the ground with its head severed, covered in blood, and another kneeling on the ground, its ear held by the Well Wood Dog. He went forward to examine it carefully and said, "This one was not killed by a weapon." Prince Mo Ang laughed and said, "If I hadn't shouted quickly, the entire body would have been eaten by the Well Star Lord."

Wukong said, "Since that is the case, there is nothing to be done. Bring a saw. Saw off its two horns and skin it to take away. The rhinoceros meat can be left for the Dragon King and his son to eat." Then he had the Dust-Averter's nose pierced and let the Horn Wood Dragon lead it. The Heat-Averter's nose was also pierced, and the Well Wood Dog was made to lead it. "Take them to Golden Peace Prefecture to see the prefectural official. Explain the whole matter clearly, accuse them of the crime of pretending to be Buddhas year after year and harming the people, and then deal with them."

Hearing this, everyone bid farewell to the Dragon King and his son. They all left the Western Ocean, leading the rhinoceroses, and met up with the Wolf Wood Wolf and the Winnowing Wood Tiger. Riding the clouds and mists, they returned to Golden Peace Prefecture. Wukong, standing on his auspicious cloud in mid-air, shouted, "Listen, all of you: the prefectural officials of Golden Peace Prefecture, the various officers, and the people inside and outside the city! I am the holy monk sent from the Great Tang in the East to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. The ones to whom you prefecture and county have been offering golden lanterns every year, the ones who manifested themselves as Buddhas, are these rhinoceros spirits! When we passed through here, on the night of the Lantern Festival, these demons stole the lantern oil and captured my master. I invited the heavenly spirits to subdue them. Now, the mountain cave has been cleared and the demons have been completely wiped out. They will harm people no more. From now on, your prefecture and county need not offer golden lanterns anymore, so as not to waste the people's money and energy."

At the Temple of Compassionate Clouds, Bajie and Sha Wujing were just escorting Tang Sanzang through the mountain gate when they heard Wukong speaking in mid-air. They immediately left their master, set down their loads, and soared up into the sky to ask Wukong about subduing the demons. Wukong replied, "One was bitten to death by the Well Star Lord. Its horns have been sawed off and its skin removed, and we have brought them. The other two have been captured alive." Bajie said, "Just throw these two directly into the city for the officials and commoners to see, so they will know that we are saints and spirits. I trouble the four star lords to descend from the clouds to the ground and come together to the government office to deal with these demons. The facts are clear and the charges are appropriate. There is nothing more to say!" The four stars said, "Marshal Tian Peng has recently come to understand reason and the law. Not bad!" Bajie replied, "After being a monk for these past few years, I have also learned a thing or two."

The gods indeed pushed the rhinoceroses down. Riding a cluster of colorful clouds, they descended to the main hall of the government office. This terrified the prefectural and county officials, as well as the people inside and outside the city. Every household set up incense altars, and every family worshipped the heavenly spirits. In a short while, the monks from the Temple of Compassionate Clouds carried Tang Sanzang in a sedan chair into the government office. When he saw Wukong, he kept saying "Thank you": "Thanks to the star lords for saving us. Earlier, I was worried because I had not seen my worthy disciple, but now, fortunately, you have returned victorious! But where were these demons pursued and captured?"

Wukong said, "After I took my leave of you the day before yesterday, I went up to Heaven to investigate. Thanks to the Great White Planet, who recognized the demons as rhinoceroses and advised me to invite the Four Wood Star Lords. At that time, I petitioned the Jade Emperor, and receiving his decree, we went to subdue the demons. We fought at the mouth of the cave, and the demon kings fled. Thanks again to the Winnowing and Wolf stars for rescuing you, Master. I, together with the Well and Horn stars, pursued the demons all the way to the Western Ocean. There, thanks to the Dragon King, who sent his prince to lead troops to assist, we managed to capture them and bring them here for interrogation." Tang Sanzang was full of praise and gratitude. He then saw the prefectural and county officials, along with their subordinates, all lighting candles and burning incense, bowing in worship.

In a short while, Bajie's temper flared up. He drew his monastic knife, and with one stroke cut off the head of the Dust-Averter, and with another stroke cut off the head of the Heat-Averter. Then he took a saw and sawed off their four horns. The Great Sage Sun had an even better idea. He said, "Four star lords, take these four rhinoceros horns up to Heaven and present them to the Jade Emperor as tribute, and then report back to complete your mission. As for the ones I brought: one can be left in the prefecture's treasury to serve as a token for the future exemption from lamp oil levies. We will take one with us to present to the Buddha on Spirit Mountain." The four stars were overjoyed. They immediately bid farewell to the Great Sage and rode their colorful clouds back to the Heavenly Court to report the completion of their mission.

The prefectural and county officials detained the four master and disciples. They laid out a grand vegetarian feast and invited local gentry to accompany them. On the one hand, they posted notices informing the people that from the next year onward, they were not to light the golden lanterns, and the corvée labor for the major lamp oil households was permanently abolished. On the other hand, they ordered butchers to skin the rhinoceroses, tan and smoke-dry the hides to be made into armor, and distributed the rhinoceros meat among the officials and the people. They also used idle funds from the government treasury to purchase civilian vacant land to build a temple to the Four Stars for subduing demons. Furthermore, they built a living shrine for Tang Sanzang and his three disciples, each with a stone tablet engraved with inscriptions, to be passed down through the ages as a token of their gratitude.

The four master and disciples gave themselves over to enjoyment. They were constantly invited by the two hundred and forty major lamp oil households—this family inviting them, that family thanking them—without a moment's rest. Bajie was thoroughly satisfied