Chapter 53: The Chan Master Eats and Conceives a Ghostly Child; The Yellow Dame Transports Water to Dissolve the Demonic Fetus

Now, who was it that called out from beside the main road? It was the Mountain God and the Earth Spirit of the Golden Mountain. They held the purple-gold begging bowl and shouted loudly: "Venerable Master! The rice in this bowl was begged by the Great Sage Sun from a good family. It was all because you would not listen to our warnings and mistakenly entered the demon's territory, causing the Great Sage to expend tremendous effort to rescue you today. Come quickly and eat this rice before you continue your journey. Do not waste the Great Sage's filial devotion!"

Tang Sanzang addressed Wukong and said, "Disciple, I have put you through so much this time! I truly do not know how to thank you! If only I had known earlier, I would never have stepped out of the protective circle you drew, and I would not have suffered this calamity."

The Pilgrim replied, "To be honest with you, Master, it was because you did not trust the circle I drew that you suffered the torment of that monster's circle instead. To have endured so much suffering is truly a pity! A great pity!"

Zhu Bajie interjected from the side, "Why has another circle popped up?"

The Pilgrim glared at Bajie. "It is all because of your loose tongue, you blundering oaf, that you caused Master to suffer this great disaster! I went up to Heaven and down to Earth, summoning Heavenly soldiers , the gods of Water and Fire , and even the Tathagata Buddha's golden cinnabar sand , but that monster used a gleaming white circle to snatch everything away. It was only because the Tathagata hinted to the Arhat, telling me the monster's true identity, that I went to invite the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord to subdue him. It turns out that monster was a green ox that had become a spirit!"

Upon hearing this, Sanzang was filled with boundless gratitude and quickly said, "Worthy disciple, after this experience, I will certainly follow your arrangements next time."

So the four master and disciples shared the rice in the bowl, which was still steaming hot. The Pilgrim was somewhat puzzled and asked, "This rice has been sitting for so long; why is it still hot?"

The Earth Spirit quickly knelt and replied, "I knew that after the Great Sage rescued his master, he would surely be hungry, so I deliberately heated the rice to serve you."

In a short while, the rice was finished. They packed up the purple-gold begging bowl, bid farewell to the Earth Spirit and Mountain God, and continued on their journey.

Only then did the Master mount his horse and cross the high mountain ahead. Truly, having cleansed his distracting thoughts and returned to the true path, he once again endured wind and dew as he traveled westward. After walking for some time, the season turned to early spring . Their ears were filled with the songs of various birds, and their eyes beheld a spring scene: purple swallows chirped softly, orioles sang sweetly. The purple swallows chirped until their fragrant beaks grew weary; the orioles sang with skillful, frequent notes. The ground was covered with fallen red petals like brocade, and the mountains were lush and green like piled-up mats. Green plums formed tiny fruits on the mountain ridges; ancient cypresses before the cliffs held onto the drifting clouds. The wilderness was moist, the mist pale; the sandbanks were warm under the setting sun. In several gardens, flowers were blooming; as the warmth returned to the earth, the willow trees sprouted new leaves.

As they were walking, they suddenly came upon a small river. The river water was so clear they could see the bottom, glistening with cold light. Tang, the elder, reined in his horse and looked ahead carefully. In the distance, on the opposite bank, he saw dense willow shade and faintly discerned a few thatched huts .

The Pilgrim pointed to the opposite bank and said, "There must be people living there; perhaps there is even a ferryman ."

Sanzang also looked in that direction. "It does look like there are people there, but I don't see a boat, so I dare not call out to anyone."

Bajie put down his luggage and shouted at the top of his voice, "Ferryman! Bring your boat over!" He called out several times, and from within the willow shade, a boat was slowly poled out with a creaking sound. Before long, the boat reached their side of the bank.

The master and disciples examined the boat carefully. Truly, it was like this: short oars parted the waves, light paddles rode the swells. The hull was painted with lacquer in bright colors, the deck planks were smooth and the holds were full. At the bow, iron cables were coiled; at the stern, the rudder cabin was bright and clear. Though it was but a single-reed vessel, it was no less than a boat for sailing lakes and seas. Even without silk cables and ivory masts, it indeed had pine posts and cassia oars. It was certainly not as grand as a divine ship that could travel ten thousand miles, but it could truly ferry one across a single river. It came and went only between the two banks; it departed and returned only from the ancient ferry crossing.

Soon the boat was steady against the bank, and the boatman shouted, "If you want to cross the river, come quickly to this side."

Sanzang rode his horse closer and looked at the boatman. The boatman appeared like this: a silk brocade kerchief wrapped around the head, black silk shoes on the feet. The body was clad in a cotton-padded jacket made of a hundred patches, and the waist was bound with a skirt of a thousand stitches . The wrists were leathery, the veins and sinews strong; the eyes were dim, the brows wrinkled, the face aged. The voice was delicate and soft, like an oriole's song; upon closer look, it was an old woman.

The Pilgrim walked to the boat's edge and asked, "Are you the ferryman?"

The woman nodded. "Yes."

The Pilgrim asked again, "Why are there no other boatmen? How is it that an old woman like you is handling the boat alone?"

The woman just smiled without speaking and reached out to place the gangplank onto the bank. Sha Wujing first carried the luggage onto the boat. The Pilgrim helped his master step onto the gangplank and then helped to steady the boat. After Bajie led the white horse aboard, everyone together pulled up the gangplank. The woman poled the boat away, began to row, and in no time, they had crossed the river.

Upon reaching the western bank, the elder told Sha Seng to open the bundle and take out a few coins to give to the woman. The woman did not quibble over the amount of money; she tied the boat's cable to a post on the riverbank and, smiling cheerfully, walked into a village house.

Sanzang saw that the river water was clear and felt thirsty, so he said to Bajie, "Take the begging bowl and scoop some water for me to drink."

The Fool immediately responded, "I was just thinking of having a drink myself!" He quickly took the begging bowl, scooped a bowl of water, and handed it to his master. The master drank a small half, leaving more than half. The Fool took it back and, in one gulp, drained the bowl. Then he helped his master mount the horse.

The master and disciples searched for the road and continued westward. Before they had walked half an hour, the elder began to groan on his horse. "My stomach hurts!"

Bajie, following behind, also said, "I have a stomach ache too."

Sha Seng quickly asked, "Could it be because you drank cold water just now?"

Before he could finish speaking, the master cried out in pain, "It hurts terribly!"

Bajie also cried out, "It hurts terribly!"

Their pain was unbearable, and their bellies gradually began to swell. When they touched them, it felt as if there were bloody lumps of flesh squirming and moving inside.

While Sanzang was suffering, he suddenly saw a village house by the roadside, with two bundles of straw hanging from the treetops. The Pilgrim said, "Master, it's all right! That is a wine-selling household. Let us go and ask them for some hot soup for you to drink, and also ask if there is any medicine for sale. We can buy a dose to cure your stomach ache."

Sanzang was very pleased to hear this and urged his white horse forward. Soon they arrived at the village house gate and dismounted. They saw an old woman sitting on a straw mat, twisting hemp.

The Pilgrim stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Good woman, I am a poor monk from the Great Tang in the East. My master is the Emperor's sworn brother of the Tang court. Because he drank some water from the river while crossing just now, he now has a terrible stomach ache. We would like to beg some hot soup from you, and also ask if there is any way to cure it."

The old woman laughed heartily and asked, "Did you drink water from that river over there?"

The Pilgrim nodded. "Yes, we drank from that clear river to the east."

Upon hearing this, the old woman laughed with delight. "How amusing! How amusing! Come on in, all of you, and I will tell you something."

The Pilgrim immediately helped Tang Sanzang, and Sha Seng helped Bajie, as they all entered the house. The two were groaning in pain, their bellies protruding, their faces sallow and brows furrowed. With difficulty, they entered the thatched cottage and sat down. The Pilgrim said urgently, "Good woman, quickly boil some hot soup for my master to drink, and we will thank you."

But the old woman did not boil any soup. Instead, she ran cheerfully to the back room and shouted loudly, "Come and see! Come and see!"

From inside, two or three middle-aged women came clattering out, surrounded Tang Sanzang, and began to laugh. The Pilgrim flew into a rage, shouted loudly, and glared at them with bared teeth, scaring the whole family into stumbling backward.

The Pilgrim stepped forward, grabbed the old woman by the arm, and said, "Boil the soup quickly! Otherwise, I will not let you off!"

The old woman was so frightened she trembled. "Grandfather! Boiling soup is useless; it cannot cure their stomach aches. Release me, and I will explain everything clearly."

The Pilgrim let go of her hand and let her speak. The old woman then explained, "This place is the Western Liang Women's Kingdom. In our entire kingdom, there are only women, not a single man. That is why we are so happy to see you. The water your master drank is problematic—that river is called the Mother-and-Child River. Outside our king's city, there is also a Welcoming Sun Inn, and outside the inn's gate, there is a well called the Fetal-Illumination Spring. The women here must be over twenty years old before they dare to drink the water of the Mother-and-Child River. After drinking the water, they will get a stomach ache and conceive a child. Three days later, they go to the Fetal-Illumination Spring by the Welcoming Sun Inn to take a look. If they see two shadows, they will give birth to a child. Your master and your junior disciple drank the water of the Mother-and-Child River, so they have conceived a child. Before long, they will have to give birth. How can hot soup cure that!"

Sanzang was terrified and urgently said to the Pilgrim, "Disciple! What can we do?"

Bajie twisted his waist and groaned, "Grandfather! We are going to give birth! But we are men; where is the birth canal? How can we deliver?"

The Pilgrim could not help laughing. "The ancients said, 'When the melon is ripe, the stem will fall.' When the time comes, perhaps a hole will split open from your side, and the child will crawl out."

Upon hearing this, Bajie trembled all over and, unable to bear the pain, cried out, "It's over! It's over! I am going to die! I am going to die!"

Sha Seng teased from the side, "Second Brother, stop twisting around! Be careful you don't twist the wrong place for giving birth and end up with a prenatal illness."

The Fool became even more panicked, tears in his eyes, and tugged at the Pilgrim's clothes. "Brother! Ask this old woman if there are any midwives with gentle hands around here. Find a few first. The pain is coming in waves and getting worse; I think I am about to give birth! I am about to give birth!"

Sha Seng laughed again. "Second Brother, since you know you are about to give birth, don't move around so much. Be careful not to break your waters."

Sanzang was still groaning and said to the old woman, "Good woman, is there a doctor here? Let my disciple go and buy a dose of abortifacient to expel the fetus."

The old woman shook her head. "Even if there were medicine, it would be useless. Only on the main south street here is there a Jieyang Mountain. In the mountain, there is a Po'er Cave, and in the cave, there is a Fetal-Fall Spring. You must drink a mouthful of the water from that spring to dissolve the fetal energy. But now, the water cannot be obtained—a few years ago, a Taoist named the Ruyi True Immortal came and turned the Po'er Cave into the Juxian Nunnery. He guards the Fetal-Fall Spring and refuses to give water to just anyone. If you want to beg for water, you must bring betrothal gifts, such as flowers and red silk, sheep and wine, fruit platters, and the like. You must sincerely present them to him before you can beg for a single bowl of water. You traveling monks, where would you have so much money to buy these things? You can only endure it and wait for the time to come to give birth."

Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim was instead filled with joy and asked, "Good woman, how far is it from here to Jieyang Mountain?"

The old woman said, "It is three thousand miles."

The Pilgrim immediately said, "Good! Good! Master, do not worry. Let me go and fetch some water for you to drink."

This was a fine Great Sage. He turned and instructed Sha Seng, "Take good care of Master and Bajie. If these people dare to be rude or bully them, you use your old skills and turn yourself into a tiger to scare them. I am going to fetch the water."

Sha Seng agreed. Then the old woman brought out a large earthenware bowl and handed it to the Pilgrim. "Take this bowl with you. Be sure to fetch a lot, so we can keep some for emergencies."

The Pilgrim took the earthenware bowl, left the thatched cottage, mounted a cloud, and flew straight toward Jieyang Mountain. Only then did the old woman kowtow to the sky and say, "Grandfather! This monk can fly!" Then she went inside and called out the other women, who all kowtowed and bowed to Tang Sanzang, calling them Arhats and Bodhisattvas. They quickly boiled some soup and prepared a meal to offer to Tang Sanzang. We will leave this matter for now.

Let us speak instead of the Great Sage Sun. He mounted his somersault cloud and, in no time, saw a mountain peak blocking his cloud path. He descended from the cloud, opened his eyes wide, and looked. What a mountain it was! Behold:

The Great Sage had not yet finished admiring the mountain scenery when he saw, on the shady side, a manor estate and heard the barking of dogs. The Great Sage descended the mountain and went straight to the gate of the manor. It was truly a fine place. Behold the scene: a small bridge spanned the flowing water; a thatched cottage leaned against the green mountains. Village dogs barked by the bamboo fence; a reclusive person came and went.

Soon he reached the gate and saw an old Taoist sitting cross-legged on the green grass. The Great Sage put down the earthenware bowl, stepped forward, bowed, and offered a greeting. The Taoist returned the bow slightly and asked, "Where have you come from? What business do you have at my humble nunnery?"

The Pilgrim said, "I am a poor monk sent from the Great Tang in the East to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. My master carelessly drank the water of the Mother-and-Child River, and now he has a terrible stomach ache and a swollen belly. I asked the locals, and they said he has conceived a child and there is no cure. I heard that the Fetal-Fall Spring at the Po'er Cave on Jieyang Mountain can dissolve the fetal energy, so I have come especially to pay my respects to the Ruyi True Immortal and beg for some spring water to save my master. May I trouble you, elder Taoist, to point me the way?"

The Taoist laughed. "This is the Po'er Cave, now renamed the Juxian Nunnery. I am none other than the senior disciple of the Ruyi True Immortal. What is your name, so that I may go in and announce you?"

The Pilgrim said, "I am the senior disciple of Dharma Master Tang Sanzang, and my name is Sun Wukong."

The Taoist asked again, "Have you brought the betrothal gifts—the flowers, red silk, and wine?"

The Pilgrim shook his head. "I am a traveling monk and did not have time to prepare these things."

The Taoist laughed. "You are a fool! My master guards this mountain spring and has never given it away for free. Go back and prepare the gifts, and then I will announce you. Otherwise, please turn back! Do not even think about it! Do not even think about it!"

The Pilgrim said, "Human sentiment is greater than an imperial decree. Go and tell him the name of Old Sun, and he will surely do me the favor. He might even give me the entire well."

Upon hearing this, the Taoist had no choice but to go in and announce him. He saw the True Immortal playing the zither. The Taoist waited until he had finished playing before saying, "Master, there is a monk outside who says he is Sun Wukong, the senior disciple of Tang Sanzang. He has come to beg for the Fetal-Fall Spring water to save his master."

The True Immortal was fine until he heard the name "Wukong." Immediately, rage surged from his heart and malice grew in his mind. He quickly stood up, descended from his zither platform, took off his casual clothes, put on his Taoist robe, picked up a Ruyi hook, and leaped out of the nunnery gate, shouting loudly, "Where is Sun Wukong?"

The Pilgrim turned around and saw the True Immortal's attire:

When the Pilgrim saw him, he pressed his palms together and bowed. "I am Sun Wukong."

The gentleman laughed and said, "Are you truly Sun Wukong, or are you using a false name?"

The Pilgrim said, "Listen to what you are saying, sir. The common saying goes: 'A gentleman does not change his name when walking, nor his surname when sitting.' I am Wukong. Why would I change my name or surname?"

The gentleman asked again, "Do you recognize me?"

The Pilgrim shook his head. "Since I returned to the Buddhist faith and sincerely devoted myself to its teachings, I have been traveling over mountains and crossing rivers, and I have lost touch with the friends of my youth. I have not had time to pay my respects, so I do not recognize your appearance. Just now, I inquired at the village house west of the Mother-and-Child River and learned that you, sir, are the Ruyi True Immortal. That is why I have come especially to seek an audience."

The gentleman said, "You go your way, and I practice my Dao. Why have you come to see me?"

The Pilgrim explained, "Because my master mistakenly drank the water of the Mother-and-Child River, his stomach aches terribly, and he has conceived a child. I have come especially to your immortal abode to beg for a bowl of Fetal-Fall Spring water to save my master from this crisis."

The gentleman glared and asked, "Is your master Tang Sanzang?"

The Pilgrim nodded. "Yes, yes."

The gentleman ground his teeth and said hatefully, "Have you ever encountered a Holy Infant King?"

The Pilgrim said, "That is the nickname of the Red Boy monster from the Fire-Cloud Cave on Withered Pine Stream at Hao Mountain. Why does the True Immortal ask about him?"

The gentleman said, "He is my nephew. I am the brother of the Bull Demon King. Some time ago, my elder brother sent a letter reporting that Sun Wukong, the senior disciple of Tang Sanzang, had been despicable and had harmed him. I was just looking for a place to avenge him, and now you have come to deliver yourself to my door, and you still want water!"

The Pilgrim forced a smile and said, "Sir, you are mistaken. Your elder brother, the Bull Demon King, was once a friend of mine. In our youth, we even became sworn brothers, the Seven Brothers. I simply did not know where you lived, sir, and so I failed to pay you a visit. Now your nephew has gained a fine position. He is following Bodhisattva Guanyin and has become the Sudhana Youth. We cannot even compare to him. How can you blame me instead?"

The gentleman shouted, "You cursed macaque! How dare you use your glib tongue! Is it better for my nephew to be a carefree king or to be a servant to others? Do not be rude! Taste my hook!"

The Great Sage blocked it with his iron staff. "Sir, do not be in such a hurry to fight. First, give me some spring water."

The gentleman cursed, "Cursed macaque! You do not know whether you are alive or dead! If you can fight me for three rounds and defeat me, I will give you the water. If you cannot, I will chop you into meat paste to avenge my nephew!"

The Great Sage also cursed, "You ungrateful wretch! Since you want to fight, come forward and taste my staff!"

The gentleman parried with his Ruyi hook. The two of them fought in front of the Juxian Nunnery.

The gentleman and the Great Sage fought for over ten rounds, and gradually the gentleman could not hold his own against the Great Sage. The Great Sage grew fiercer as he fought; his iron staff, like a rolling meteor, rained down wildly on the gentleman's head. The gentleman lost his strength and, dragging his Ruyi hook behind him, fled up the mountain.

The Great Sage did not pursue him. Instead, he turned and went into the nunnery to look for the water. The Taoist had already closed the nunnery gate. The Great Sage, carrying the earthenware bowl, ran to the gate and, using all his strength, kicked it open and burst inside. He saw the Taoist lying prostrate on the well curb. The Great Sage gave a great shout and raised his iron staff to strike. The Taoist was so frightened that he fled backward. The Great Sage had just found the bucket and was about to draw water when the gentleman returned from the front, hooked the Great Sage's foot with his Ruyi hook, and sent the Great Sage tumbling face-first to the ground. The Great Sage got up, picked up his iron staff, and struck. The gentleman, however, dodged to one side and, raising his hook, said, "Let's see how you draw water now!"

The Great Sage cursed, "Come up here! Come up here! I will beat you to death, you wretch!"

The gentleman did not advance to fight but only blocked the way, preventing the Great Sage from drawing water. Seeing that he would not move, the Great Sage swung his iron staff with his left hand while holding the bucket with his right, letting the well rope rattle downward. The gentleman came over again and hooked at him. With only one hand, the Great Sage could not hold on and was hooked by the foot again, stumbling and falling into the well along with the rope.

The Great Sage climbed out and cursed, "This fellow is truly insolent!" He swung his iron staff with both hands and beat wildly at the gentleman's head and face. The gentleman still did not dare to face him and fled again. The Great Sage wanted to draw water again, but he had no bucket and was afraid the gentleman would come back to hook him. He thought to himself, "I had better go and get some help!"

This was a fine Great Sage. He turned his cloud around and flew straight to the village house gate. He shouted, "Sha Heshang!"

Inside the house, Tang Sanzang was enduring the pain and groaning, and Zhu Bajie was also moaning. When they heard the shout, both said happily, "Sha Seng, Wukong is back!"

Sha Seng quickly went out to welcome him. "Elder Brother, have you brought the water back?"

The Great Sage entered the house and told Tang Sanzang everything that had happened at the Juxian Nunnery in detail. Sanzang shed tears and said, "Disciple, what can we do?"

The Great Sage said, "I have come to call Brother Sha to go with me. When we reach the nunnery, I will fight that fellow, and Sha Seng will take the opportunity to go in and fetch the water to save you and Bajie."

Sanzang was worried. "If you two who are not sick both go, leaving me and Bajie, who are sick, who will look after us?"

The old woman beside them said, "Venerable Arhat, do not worry. There is no need for your disciples to stay here. My family will naturally take care of you and attend to your needs. When you came this morning, we already felt compassion for you. Just now, seeing that this Bodhisattva can come and go on clouds, we realized you are Arhats and Bodhisattvas. Our family would never dare to harm you."

The Pilgrim glared at her. "You womenfolk, who would you dare to harm?"

The old woman laughed and said, "Grandfather, you are truly fortunate to have come to my house! If you had gone to a second house, you would not have come out in one piece!"

Bajie groaned and asked, "What do you mean by 'not in one piece'?"

The old woman explained, "In my family, there are four or five of us, all advanced in years. We have long set aside the affairs of romance, so we are unwilling to harm you. But if you had gone to a second house, with both old and young, those young women—how could they let you go! They would surely want to have intercourse with you. If you refused, they would harm your lives and cut off the flesh from your bodies to make sachets."

Bajie said, "If that is the case, I would certainly be safe. They are all fragrant and good for making sachets. But I am a stinking pig. Even if they cut off my flesh, it would be stinking, so they certainly would not harm me."

The Pilgrim laughed. "Stop boasting. Save your strength for giving birth."

The old woman quickly said, "Do not hesitate any longer. Go quickly and beg for the water."

The Pilgrim asked, "Do you have a bucket in your house? Lend us one."

The old woman immediately went to the back room and brought out a bucket, along with a well rope, which she handed to Sha Seng. Sha Seng said, "Better bring a few more ropes. In case the well is deep, one might not be enough."

Sha Seng took the bucket and rope, followed the Great Sage out of the village house, and together they mounted a cloud and flew toward Jieyang Mountain. In less than half an hour, they reached the boundary of Jieyang Mountain. The two descended from their clouds and went straight to the outside of the Juxian Nunnery.

The Great Sage instructed Sha Seng, "You take the bucket and rope and hide to one side. When I go up and fight that fellow, and the battle is at its height, you take the opportunity to go in and fetch the water, then leave quickly."

Sha Seng nodded and did as he was told.

The Great Sage Sun drew out his iron staff, walked to the nunnery gate, and shouted loudly, "Open the gate! Open the gate!"

The Taoist guarding the gate saw him and hurried inside to report. "Master, that Sun Wukong is back!"

The gentleman was furious. "This cursed monkey is too insolent! I have only heard of his skills before; today I have truly seen them. That staff of his is truly hard to match."

The Taoist said, "Master, although his skills are high, you are not inferior to him. You are evenly matched."

The gentleman sighed. "In the first two rounds, I was defeated by him."

The Taoist said, "Although you lost the first two rounds, it was only because of his momentary ferocity. In the next two times, when he tried to draw water, you hooked him down twice. Is that not a draw? He had no choice but to leave before, and now he has returned. It must be that Sanzang's fetal energy is heavy and his complaints are pressing, so he has no choice but to come. His mind will surely be preoccupied with his master, and he will be distracted. This time, Master will surely win."

Upon hearing this, the True Immortal was suddenly overjoyed, his face beaming with spring. He picked up his Ruyi hook with great majesty, walked out the door, and shouted, "Cursed macaque! What do you want now?"

The Great Sage said, "I have come for the water."

The True Immortal said, "This spring is from my well. Even if an emperor or a prime minister came, they would have to bring gifts, sheep, and wine to beg for it before I would give a little. And you are my enemy, yet you dare to come empty-handed and ask for water?"

The Great Sage asked, "So you will not give it?"

The True Immortal said, "I will not give it! I will not give it!"

The Great Sage cursed, "Cursed wretch! Since you will not give the water, taste my staff!" He assumed a fighting stance, rushed forward, and struck at the True Immortal's head.

The True Immortal dodged sideways and hurriedly parried with his hook. This battle was fiercer than before: