Chapter 31: Zhu Bajie in Righteousness Seeks the Monkey King; The Pilgrim in Wisdom Subdues the Demon

Now that fool was seized by a troop of monkeys, who dragged and pulled him until his monk's robe was torn to shreds. He muttered incessantly under his breath, "It's over! It's over! I'm surely going to be beaten to death this time!" In no time at all, they reached the cave entrance. The Great Sage, seated upon a rocky ledge, cursed at him, "You chaff-eating blockhead! You leave, and yet you curse me?"

Zhu Bajie knelt on the ground and said, "Elder Brother, I never cursed you. If I did, may my tongue rot away! I only said that since you wouldn't come, I'd go back to report to Master myself. How would I dare to curse you?"

The Pilgrim said, "Do you think you can fool me? If I stretch my left ear upward, I can hear the words of the immortals in the Thirty-third Heaven ; if I stretch my right ear downward, I can hear the Ten Kings of Hell and their judges tallying accounts. How could I not hear you cursing me as you walked?"

Zhu Bajie said, "Elder Brother, I understand now! You must have changed into something or other, sneaking around like a thief to eavesdrop on me!"

The Pilgrim shouted, "Little ones, bring out the big clubs! First, give him twenty strokes on the knees, then twenty on the back. After that, I'll send him on his way with my iron staff!"

Zhu Bajie hastily kowtowed and pleaded, "Elder Brother, for the sake of Master, please spare me!"

The Pilgrim said, "That Master of mine, I see, is quite benevolent!"

Zhu Bajie added, "Elder Brother, if not for Master's sake, then for the sake of the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the South Sea , spare me!"

At the mention of the Bodhisattva, the Pilgrim's tone softened by three parts. "Brother, since you put it that way, I'll spare you for now. But you must tell me the truth and hide nothing. Where exactly is Tang Sanzang in trouble? And why have you come to deceive me?"

Zhu Bajie said, "Elder Brother, there's no trouble at all. Master truly misses you."

The Pilgrim cursed, "You deserve a beating, you blockhead! Still trying to argue? Although I, Old Sun, have returned to the Water Curtain Cave, my heart has never stopped thinking about the pilgrimage. That Master of ours encounters danger at every step along the way. Tell me the truth now, or you'll get a beating!"

Seeing that the Pilgrim had seen through his scheme, Zhu Bajie quickly kowtowed and said, "Elder Brother, I meant to keep it from you so I could invite you back, but I never expected you to be so sharp. Spare me, and let me get up to speak."

The Pilgrim said, "Very well, get up and speak."

The monkeys released him, and the fool jumped up, looking left and right. The Pilgrim asked, "What are you looking at?"

Zhu Bajie said, "I'm looking for a wide road to make my escape!"

The Pilgrim said, "Where could you possibly run? Even if I let you get three days' head start, Old Sun would still have the power to drag you back! Speak quickly! If you anger me again, I won't be so forgiving!"

Zhu Bajie said, "To tell you the truth, after you left, Sha Wujing and I escorted Master onward until we came to a dark pine forest . Master dismounted and sent me to beg for food. I walked a great distance without finding any houses, and tired as I was, I fell asleep in the grass. Unexpectedly, Sha Wujing left Master to come looking for me. Master, lacking patience, went for a stroll in the forest, and upon emerging, he saw a gleaming golden pagoda . Thinking it was a temple, he approached, only to find a demon called the Yellow Robe Monster beneath it, who captured him. Later, when Sha Wujing and I returned to look for Master, we found only the white horse and the luggage, but no Master. We tracked him to the demon's cave and fought with him. Fortunately, there was a savior inside the cave—the third princess of the Precious Elephant Kingdom, who had been captured by the demon thirteen years ago. She wrote a letter to her family and entrusted it to Master, and also took the opportunity to release him. When we reached the Precious Elephant Kingdom, Master presented the letter, and the king asked us to subdue the demon and rescue the princess. Elder Brother, you know how it is—that old monk has no skill in subduing demons. Sha Wujing and I went to fight the demon again, but his power was too great, and he captured Sha Wujing. I couldn't defeat him, so I hid in the grass. The demon then transformed into a handsome scholar and entered the palace, where he claimed kinship with the king and turned Master into a tiger. Later, the white dragon horse turned back into his dragon form at night to rescue Master. He didn't find Master, but he encountered the demon in the Silver Peace Hall . The white dragon horse turned himself into a palace maid to drink with the demon and dance with a sword, hoping to kill him, but the demon struck him on the leg with a ' Hall Full of Red ' club. It was the white dragon horse who sent me to invite you, Elder Brother, saying, 'Elder Brother is a righteous and honorable gentleman who will not hold a grudge. He will surely come to rescue Master.' I beg you, Elder Brother, for the sake of the bond that ' a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime ,' please save Master!"

The Pilgrim said, "You fool! When I left, I repeatedly told you, 'If any demon captures Master, tell him that Old Sun is his eldest disciple.' Why didn't you say that?"

Zhu Bajie thought to himself, "To invite someone, it's better to provoke than to plead. I'll provoke him!" So he said, "Elder Brother, it would have been better if I hadn't mentioned you. The moment I did, that demon became even more arrogant!"

The Pilgrim asked, "What did he say?"

Zhu Bajie said, "I said, 'Demon, don't be rude! Don't harm my Master! I still have an eldest senior brother named Sun Wukong, whose divine powers are vast and who is most skilled at subduing demons. If he comes, you won't even have a place to bury your corpse!' When the demon heard this, he grew even angrier and cursed, 'Who is this Sun Wukong? Do you think I'm afraid of him? If he dares to come, I'll flay his skin, pull out his sinews, gnaw his bones, and eat his heart! Even if that monkey is skinny, I'll chop him up and fry him in oil!'"

When the Pilgrim heard this, he was so enraged that he scratched his ears and cheeks, leaping and jumping in fury. "Who dares to curse me like that?!"

Zhu Bajie said, "Elder Brother, calm your anger. It was the Yellow Robe Monster who cursed you. I'm just repeating what he said."

The Pilgrim said, "Worthy brother, get up. It's not that I don't want to go, but since that demon dares to curse me, how can I not deal with him? I'll go with you! Five hundred years ago, when Old Sun caused havoc in Heaven, even the celestial immortals bowed to me and addressed me as Great Sage. This demon is utterly insolent, daring to curse me to my face and behind my back! I'll go right now, capture him, and grind his bones to dust to avenge this insult! Once I've avenged myself, I'll return."

Zhu Bajie said, "Elder Brother speaks truly! As long as you capture the demon and avenge yourself, whether you come back or not afterward is entirely up to you."

That monkey immediately leaped down from the rocky ledge, entered the cave, shed his demonic garments, straightened his brocade monk's robe , fastened his tiger-skin kilt, and, grasping his iron staff, strode out. The monkeys hurriedly blocked his path, saying, "Great Sage, where are you going? Stay and play with us for a few more years!"

The Pilgrim said, "Little ones, don't talk nonsense! Everyone in Heaven and on Earth knows that Sun Wukong is the disciple of Tang Sanzang on his pilgrimage to fetch the scriptures. Master didn't drive me away; he sent me home to visit and enjoy myself for a few days. Now, because of this matter, you must carefully guard our home, plant willows and pines on time, and not let things go to waste. When I have finished escorting Master to fetch the scriptures and returned to the East, I will come back to be merry with you all."

The monkeys all acknowledged his command.

The Great Sage and Zhu Bajie, hand in hand, mounted a cloud and left the Water Curtain Cave. After crossing the Eastern Ocean and reaching the western shore, the Pilgrim stopped the cloud and said, "Brother, you go on ahead slowly. I'm going down to the sea to bathe and cleanse myself."

Zhu Bajie said, "We're in such a hurry to travel. Why do you need to bathe?"

The Pilgrim said, "You don't understand. In the few days I've been back, I've picked up some demonic aura. Master is fastidious and might dislike me for it."

Only then did Zhu Bajie realize that the Pilgrim truly intended to rescue Master and had no other motive.

After bathing, the two mounted their cloud again and traveled westward until they saw the golden pagoda shining in the distance. Zhu Bajie pointed and said, "Isn't that the Yellow Robe Monster's home? Sha Wujing is still in his cave."

The Pilgrim said, "You wait here in the sky. I'll go down to see what the cave entrance looks like, so I can plan my battle with the demon."

Zhu Bajie said, "Don't go. The demon isn't home."

The Pilgrim said, "I know."

What a magnificent Monkey King! He descended from his auspicious cloud and went straight to the cave entrance to survey the situation. There he saw two children playing with bent sticks, hitting a ball and scrambling for a nest. One was about ten years old, the other about eight or nine. As they played happily, the Pilgrim walked up, and without caring whose children they were, grabbed them by their hair and lifted them up. The children were terrified, crying and cursing, which alarmed the junior demons in the Wave-Moon Cave. They quickly reported to the princess, "Milady, someone has taken the two young masters!"

These two children were, in fact, the offspring of the princess and the Yellow Robe Monster.

Upon hearing this, the princess rushed out of the cave. Seeing the Pilgrim holding the two children on a high cliff, as if about to throw them down, she cried out in panic, "You there! I have no grievance with you! Why have you taken my sons? Their father is very powerful. If anything happens to them, he will never forgive you!"

The Pilgrim said, "Don't you recognize me? I am Sun Wukong, the eldest disciple of Tang Sanzang! My junior brother, Sha Wujing, is in your cave. If you release him, I will return these two children to you. Two for one—you're getting a good deal."

Hearing this, the princess hurried into the cave, drove away the demons guarding the door, and personally untied Sha Wujing's ropes. Sha Wujing said, "Princess, don't untie me. If your husband returns and asks about it, you will suffer for it."

The princess said, "Venerable Monk, you are my benefactor! You helped deliver my letter and saved my life. I wanted to release you anyway. But now, your eldest senior brother, Sun Wukong, is outside the cave and has ordered me to let you go."

Alas! When Sha Wujing heard the name "Sun Wukong," it was as if he had drunk sweet nectar or been bathed in heavenly dew. His heart blossomed with joy, more elated than if he had found gold and jade. He straightened his robes, walked out of the cave, and bowed to the Pilgrim, saying, "Elder Brother, you have descended from Heaven itself! Save me, please!"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You, Sha Wujing! When Master recited the Tight-Fillet Spell, why didn't you speak a good word for me? All you do is talk! If you wanted to protect Master, why didn't you stay on the western road? What are you doing squatting here?"

Sha Wujing said, "Elder Brother, say no more. A gentleman does not dwell on past grievances. We are defeated soldiers, unworthy to speak of bravery. Save me quickly!"

The Pilgrim said, "Come up here."

Sha Wujing leaped onto the cliff.

Meanwhile, Zhu Bajie was waiting in the sky. When he saw Sha Wujing emerge from the cave, he immediately brought down his cloud and shouted, "Brother Sha, don't be anxious! Don't be anxious!"

Sha Wujing saw him and asked, "Second Elder Brother, where have you come from?"

Zhu Bajie said, "Yesterday, I couldn't defeat the demon. At night, I went into the city and saw the white dragon horse. Only then did I learn that Master was in trouble, turned into a tiger by the Yellow Robe Monster's magic. The white dragon horse discussed it with me and suggested I invite Elder Brother to rescue Master."

The Pilgrim said, "Fool, enough with the reminiscing. Take one of these two children and go to the Precious Elephant City to provoke that demon. Lure him here, and I'll wait to fight him."

Sha Wujing asked, "Elder Brother, how do we provoke him?"

The Pilgrim said, "You two stand on the clouds above the Golden Throne Hall. Without any hesitation, throw the children onto the white jade steps. When someone asks who you are, say that these are the sons of the Yellow Robe Monster, captured by us. When the demon hears this, he will surely return, and I won't have to fight him in the city. If we fought there, he would spew clouds and mist, raising dust and dirt, disturbing the king, his officials, and the common people. That would not be good."

Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Elder Brother, you always make us do the dangerous work!"

The Pilgrim said, "How is that making you do the dangerous work?"

Zhu Bajie said, "You've already scared these two children out of their wits. Their cries are hoarse. If we throw them down, they'll surely die. The demon will come after us and demand their lives. You'll be clean, with no witnesses, and we'll be the ones to suffer!"

The Pilgrim said, "If he captures you, lead him here. This place is spacious, and I'll be waiting to fight him."

Sha Wujing said, "Right, right! Elder Brother is correct. Let's go."

The two, summoning their courage, took the children and departed.

The Pilgrim jumped down from the cliff and went to the pagoda gate. The princess said, "You monk! You have no honor! You said you would return my children after releasing my brother. But you released him and kept the children, and now you come to my door!"

The Pilgrim smiled apologetically and said, "Princess, don't be angry. You've lived here for a long time. It's only right to take the children to meet their maternal grandfather."

The princess said, "Monk, don't be rude! My Yellow Robe Lord is not like other men. If you frighten my children, he will never let you off easily!"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Princess, when a person lives between Heaven and Earth, what is considered the greatest offense?"

The princess said, "I know."

The Pilgrim said, "What would a woman like you know?"

The princess said, "I was raised in the palace, and my parents taught me. I remember an ancient text saying, 'Among the five punishments and three thousand offenses, the greatest is unfilial conduct.'"

The Pilgrim said, "You are precisely an unfilial person! 'Father gives life, mother nurtures; pity the parents, their toil is hard.' Filial piety is the root of all virtues. How can you live with a demon and not think of your parents? Is that not unfilial?"

Upon hearing this, the princess was speechless for a long time. Her face flushed red with shame, and she could not help but speak. "Venerable Monk, you are right. How could I not think of my parents? But that demon captured me and brought me here. He guards me strictly, and I have no way to leave. The road is long, and there is no one to deliver a message for me. I have thought of taking my own life, but I feared my parents would think I had run away, and I would die in obscurity. So I have lived on in shame, truly the greatest sinner under Heaven!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like a spring.

Seeing her genuine remorse, the Pilgrim comforted her, "Princess, don't be sad. Zhu Bajie told me that you wrote a letter to save my Master, which shows that your heart still yearns for your parents. I have come this time to capture the demon for you and take you back to the palace to see your father the king. Then I will help you find a good husband so you can serve your parents well in their old age. What do you think?"

The princess, however, looked doubtful and said, "Monk, don't throw your life away! Yesterday, your two junior brothers were so powerful, yet they couldn't defeat my Yellow Robe Lord. You are thin and gaunt, your bones nearly showing, like a crab. What skill do you have to boast of capturing a demon?"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You have no discernment and cannot recognize a true master! As the saying goes, 'A bladder, though big, has no weight; a steelyard weight, though small, can press a thousand pounds.' My two junior brothers look strong, but they are all show and no substance—they tire easily walking, waste cloth on their clothes, have no real strength for work, but can eat a lot. Though I am small, I am full of strength and possess true skill!"

The princess was still unconvinced and asked, "Do you really have such skill?"

The Pilgrim said, "You've never seen my abilities! Subduing demons and monsters is my specialty."

The princess said, "Don't fail me!"

The Pilgrim said, "I will not fail you."

The princess asked again, "Since you can subdue demons, how do you plan to capture him?"

The Pilgrim said, "First, hide yourself far away and don't stand near me. When he returns, it will be inconvenient for me to act. I'm afraid that after thirteen years together, you might have feelings for him and try to stop me."

The princess quickly said, "How could I have feelings for him? I stayed here only because I was forced!"

The Pilgrim said, "You have been husband and wife for thirteen years. How could there be no bond at all? When I see him, I will not be polite. Every blow of my staff will count, every punch will land. I must knock him down before I can take you back to the palace."

The princess did not argue further. She truly followed the Pilgrim's instructions and hid herself in a secluded spot. It was also because her bond with the demon was ending that she encountered the Great Sage to rescue her.

After hiding the princess, the Monkey King shook himself and transformed into the princess's likeness. He walked back into the cave, waiting specifically for the demon's return.

Meanwhile, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing took the two children to the Precious Elephant Kingdom and dashed them against the white jade steps. Alas, the poor children were instantly crushed into meat patties, blood gushing and bones splintering. The officials in the court cried out in alarm, "Disaster! Disaster! Two people have fallen from the sky!"

Zhu Bajie shouted loudly, "These children are the sons of the Yellow Robe Monster, captured by me and Brother Sha!"

The Yellow Robe Monster was still in the Silver Peace Hall, sleeping off his drunken stupor from the night before. Hearing someone call his name, he turned over and looked up. He saw Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing shouting from the clouds. The demon thought to himself, "Zhu Bajie is one thing, but Sha Wujing was tied up in my cave. How did he get out? How could my wife have released him? And how did my children fall into their hands? Zhu Bajie must have used this trick to entangle me because he couldn't defeat me in battle. If I acknowledge this and fight him—alas! I'm still drunk! If he hits me with his rake, I'll lose face and expose a weakness. It's better to go back to the cave first and see if those are truly my children. Then I'll settle accounts with him."

What a demon! Without even taking leave of the king, he turned and went into the mountains, heading straight back to his cave to investigate. By this time, the palace already knew he was a demon—the previous night, he had eaten a palace maid, and the other seventeen who had escaped reported the demon's cannibalism to the king at the fifth watch. Coupled with his abrupt departure, the king was now certain he was a demon and immediately ordered officials to guard the tiger-transformed Tang Sanzang. We will leave this matter for now.

The demon went straight back to his cave entrance. When the Pilgrim saw him returning, he quickly devised a plan to deceive him. He squeezed his eyes, causing tears to stream down his face, and began to wail loudly, stamping his feet and beating his chest inside the cave. The demon did not recognize him at first. He stepped forward, embraced him, and said, "Wife, what is the matter? Why are you so sad?"

The Great Sage fabricated a story and said, sobbing, "My lord! As the saying goes, 'A man without a wife has no home; a woman without a husband has no support!' You went to court yesterday to claim kinship. Why didn't you return? This morning, Zhu Bajie kidnapped Sha Wujing and also took away our two children. I begged him bitterly, but he would not relent. He said he would take the children to the palace to see their maternal grandfather. It's been half a day now, and I don't know if they are alive or dead. You haven't come home. How can I bear this? That's why I cannot help but cry in sorrow."

When the demon heard this, he flew into a rage and asked, "Are they truly my sons?"

The Pilgrim said, "Yes, they were taken by Zhu Bajie."

The demon leaped up in fury and said, "Enough! Enough! My sons have surely been dashed to death by him! I will have to use that monk to pay for my sons' lives and avenge them! Wife, stop crying. How are you feeling now? Let me treat you."

The Pilgrim said, "I'm fine. I just can't bear losing my children. My heart aches from crying."

The demon said, "It's nothing. Get up. I have a treasure here. If I rub it on the place that hurts, the pain will go away. But be careful—don't flick it with your thumb. If you do, you will see my true form."

The Pilgrim laughed inwardly, "This brute is quite naive. He's confessing without any torture. When he brings out his treasure, I'll flick it on purpose and see what kind of monster he really is."

The demon led the Pilgrim deep into the secluded part of the cave. He spat out a treasure from his mouth—it was the size of a chicken egg, a shining, exquisite inner elixir. The Pilgrim rejoiced inwardly, "What a fine treasure! I wonder how much merit it took to cultivate this, how many years of refinement, how many cycles of yin and yang, to produce this inner elixir relic. Today, by fate, it falls into my hands."

The monkey took the treasure. He had no real pain, but he pretended to rub it on himself, and then flicked it with his finger. The demon panicked and reached out to grab it back. But the monkey's hands were too fast. He swallowed the treasure in one gulp. The demon clenched his fist to strike, but the Pilgrim blocked him, wiped his face, and revealed his true form. "Demon! Don't be rude! Look again and see who I am!"

When the demon saw him, he was greatly startled and said, "Ah! Wife, how have you become like this?"

The Pilgrim cursed, "You brute! Who is your wife? You don't even recognize your own ancestor!"

The demon suddenly realized something and said, "I think I recognize you."

The Pilgrim said, "I won't hit you for now. Look again."

The demon said, "Though you seem familiar, I can't recall your name at the moment. Who are you, really? Where are you from? Where have you hidden my wife, that you dare to come to my home and trick me out of my treasure? How insolent! How detestable!"

The Pilgrim said, "Of course you don't recognize me. I am the eldest disciple of Tang Sanzang, named Sun Wukong. I am also your ancestor from five hundred years ago!"

The demon said, "Nonsense! Nonsense! When I captured Tang Sanzang, I only knew he had two disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. I never heard of anyone named Sun. You must be some unknown monster who dares to come and deceive me!"

The Pilgrim said, "I wasn't traveling with them—my Master, because I was always beating demons and killing too many people, his heart being kind, drove me away. That's why I wasn't with them. You simply don't know your ancestor's name."

The demon said, "You have no shame! Driven away by your master, and you still have the face to show yourself!"

The Pilgrim said, "You brute, don't you know that 'a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime' and 'father and son have no overnight enmity'? You harmed my Master, so how could I not rescue him? Not only did you harm him, but you also cursed me behind my back. What do you have to say for yourself?"

The demon said, "When did I ever curse you?"

The Pilgrim said, "Zhu Bajie told me."

The demon said, "Don't believe him! That Zhu Bajie, with his pointy mouth and monkey cheeks, is the best at stirring up trouble. How can you listen to him?"

The Pilgrim said, "Enough of this idle talk. I've come to your home today, and you've been a poor host to a distant guest. Though there's no wine or food, at least offer me your head to strike! Quickly, stretch out your neck and let Old Sun hit you once as a cup of tea!"

When the demon heard this, he laughed heartily and said, "Sun Wukong, you've made a mistake! If you want to fight, you shouldn't have come inside. I have over a hundred junior demons in here, big and small. Even if you had a hundred hands, you couldn't fight your way out of my door!"

The Pilgrim said, "Don't talk nonsense! Even if you had a thousand or ten thousand, I would check them one by one and beat them, not missing a single blow, until you are wiped out, root and branch!"

Hearing this, the demon quickly issued orders, summoning all the demons from the front and back of the mountain, inside and outside the cave. Each took up arms, sealing off the three or four layers of cave gates tightly. Seeing this, the Pilgrim was overjoyed. He grasped his staff with both hands and shouted, "Change!" Instantly, he transformed into a being with three heads and six arms. With a shake, his Golden-Banded Staff became three. Look at him—six hands wielding three staffs, he charged through, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, an eagle descending upon a chicken coop. Alas for the junior demons! Those touched by the staff had their heads crushed; those grazed by it bled profusely. The Pilgrim charged back and forth as if there were no one there.

Only the old demon remained. He rushed out of the cave gate, cursing, "You cursed monkey! You bully me too much!"

The Pilgrim turned his head and beckoned, "Come! Come! Only when I knock you down will I be considered skilled!"

The demon raised his treasured blade and struck at the Pilgrim's head. What a magnificent Pilgrim! He raised his iron staff and met the blow head-on. This battle unfolded in the sky above the mountain peak, half in cloud and half in mist:

The Great Sage's divine powers were vast; the demon's skills were lofty. One wielded a horizontally held, life-giving golden staff; the other brandished a diagonally raised, steel-tempered blade. The blade rose slowly, shining with bright splendor; the staff was lightly parried, floating with colorful clouds. They circled, protecting their heads many times; they turned, their bodies twisting several times over. One changed his aspect with the wind; the other shook his body on the spot. One opened his fiery, golden eyes and stretched out his ape's arm; the other's gleaming golden pupils flashed as he bent his tiger's waist. They came and went, exchanging blows in combat; blade met staff, neither yielding. The Monkey King's iron staff followed the "Three Strategies"; the monster's steel blade was guided by the "Six Arts of War." One, a master of his craft, was the demon lord; the other, wielding vast magical powers, protected Tang Sanzang. The fierce Monkey King grew fiercer; the heroic monster grew more heroic. They fought in the sky, heedless of life or death, all for the sake of Tang Sanzang's distant worship of the Buddha.

They fought for fifty or sixty rounds, neither gaining the upper hand. The Pilgrim rejoiced inwardly, "This brute's blade can actually block my staff. I'll feign a weakness and see if he recognizes it." What a magnificent Monkey King! He raised his staff with both hands and executed the "High Horse Probe" technique. The demon, not seeing through the ruse, saw an opening and swung his treasured blade at the Pilgrim's lower body. The Pilgrim swiftly changed his move to the "Great Central Level," parrying the blade, and then used the "Steal the Peach from Beneath the Leaves" technique, striking the demon on the head with his staff. The demon vanished without a trace. The Pilgrim withdrew his staff and looked around, but the demon was gone. He was greatly startled and said, "Ah! He couldn't take a single blow and vanished. If I had killed him, there should be blood and gore. How is there not a trace? He must have run away."

He leaped into the clouds and surveyed the surroundings, but there was no sign of movement. "These eyes of mine can see everywhere. How could he have fled so quickly? I understand now: that demon said he recognized me. He must not be an ordinary earthly demon. He is most likely a spirit from Heaven."

Enraged, the Great Sage somersaulted through the clouds and leaped to the Southern Heavenly Gate. The celestial guards—Pang, Liu, Gou, Bi, Zhang, Tao, Deng, and Xin—were so frightened that they bowed on both sides and did not dare to stop him. They let him charge through the gate all the way to the Hall of Universal Brightness. The Four Heavenly Masters—Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu—hurriedly asked, "Great Sage, what brings you here?"

The Pilgrim said, "I am escorting Tang Sanzang on his pilgrimage to the Precious Elephant Kingdom. There, a demon deceived the king's daughter and harmed my Master. When I fought him, he suddenly disappeared. I suspect he is not an ordinary earthly demon but one who has descended from Heaven. I have come specifically to investigate which celestial being has escaped."

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Masters immediately entered the Hall of Spiritual Wonder and reported to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor ordered an investigation. The Nine Luminaries Star Officials, the Twelve Celestial Generals, the Five Dipper Star Lords, the River and Star Lords, the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, and all the immortals were present in Heaven, none having left their posts. They then checked the Twenty-Eight Mansions outside the Dipper and Bull Palace and found one missing—the Mansion of the Wolf.

The Heavenly Masters reported back, "The Wooden Wolf of the Mansion has descended to the mortal world."

The Jade Emperor asked, "How long has he been absent from Heaven?"

The Heavenly Masters said, "He has failed to report for roll call four times. Roll call is held every three days, so it has been thirteen days."

The Jade Emperor said, "Thirteen days in Heaven equals thirteen years in the mortal world." He immediately ordered the star lords of the Wooden Wolf's own mansion to summon him back to the Celestial Court.

The twenty-seven star lords received the decree and left the Heavenly Gate. Each recited a spell to rouse the Wooden Wolf. Do you know where the Wooden Wolf was hiding? He was a celestial general who had been terrified by Sun Wukong's rampage through Heaven five hundred years ago. He was hiding in a mountain stream, avoiding disaster, with water vapor concealing his demonic cloud, so he had not