As the Pilgrim attended his master Tang Sanzang on their westward journey, they had traveled for several days. It was the dead of winter, the twelfth lunar month; a northern wind howled, biting through their clothes, and the icy road was treacherous and slippery. The path wound through sheer cliffs and layered peaks of perilous mountain terrain. Seated on his horse, Sanzang heard a distant, roaring sound of water clamoring in his ears. He turned back and said to Wukong , "Wukong, where does that sound of water come from?"
The Pilgrim said, "I remember this place is called Coiled Snake Mountain and Eagle's Sorrow Gorge . It must be the water in the gorge making that noise."
No sooner had he spoken than the horse had already walked to the edge of the gorge. Sanzang reined in his mount and looked out. What he saw was this: A slender, icy stream pierced through the clouds, its clear, deep waves reflecting the sun's red glow. Its sound, like a night rain, echoed through the secluded valley; its colors, like morning clouds, dazzled the vast sky. Waves flew from a thousand-yard height, spraying broken jade ; a single mass of water roared, howling in the clear wind. It flowed onward to merge with a vast expanse of misty waters, where gulls and herons , lost to the world, vanished among the fishing spots .
The master and disciple were gazing intently when suddenly, with a great splash from the center of the gorge, a white dragon burst forth. It pushed aside waves and stirred up the waters, surging onto the cliff's edge and lunging straight at the elder. The Pilgrim hastily abandoned the luggage, lifted his master from the horse, and fled back. The dragon, failing to catch the man, opened its mouth and swallowed the white horse— saddle, bridle, and all —in a single gulp, then sank back into the water and disappeared.
The Pilgrim carried his master to a high slope and sat him down, then returned to fetch the horse and carry the load. But all that remained was a single bundle of luggage; the horse was nowhere to be seen. He brought the luggage to his master and said, "Master, that cursed dragon has vanished, but it has startled our horse away and eaten it."
Sanzang said, "Disciple, how can we ever recover the horse?"
The Pilgrim said, "Don't worry, don't worry. Let me go and have a look."
He gave a sharp whistle, leaped into the air, and opened his fiery golden eyes . Shielding his gaze with his hand like a visor, he scanned in every direction, but there was not a trace of the horse. He descended on his cloud and reported, "Master, our horse has surely been eaten by that dragon. I can't see it anywhere."
Sanzang said, "Disciple, how big could that dragon's mouth be, to swallow a horse this large, saddle and all? Perhaps the horse was startled, broke its reins, and ran off into some mountain hollow. Search again, more carefully."
The Pilgrim said, "Master, you underestimate my abilities far too much! These eyes of mine can see clearly for a thousand miles in broad daylight. Even a dragonfly fluttering its wings is visible to me, let alone a great horse. How could I not see it?"
Sanzang said, "If it truly has been eaten, how can I go on? Alas, these ten thousand mountains and a thousand rivers —how can I cross them all on foot?" As he spoke, tears fell like rain .
Seeing his master cry, the Pilgrim could no longer contain his fiery temper . He shouted loudly, "Master, don't be so spineless ! You sit still and don't move. Let Old Sun go find that wretch and make him give back our horse!"
Sanzang hastily grabbed him and said, "Disciple, where will you go to find it? What if it sneaks out from some dark place and harms me too? Then we'd lose both man and horse! What would we do then?"
Hearing this, the Pilgrim grew even angrier and yelled, "You're utterly useless! You want to ride a horse, yet you won't let me go. Are we supposed to just sit here with our luggage until we grow old?"
As they argued, unable to reach a resolution, a voice suddenly spoke from the air: "Great Sage, do not be angry. Lord Tang , do not weep. We are divine emissaries sent by Bodhisattva Guanyin, specially assigned to secretly protect the scripture pilgrim."
Hearing this, Sanzang hastily rose and bowed. The Pilgrim said, "Who are you lot? State your names so I can call the roll."
The spirits said, "We are the Six Ding and Six Jia , the Five Directional Revealers , the Four Duty Deities , and the Eighteen Guardian Dharmapalas . We take turns on duty to protect you."
The Pilgrim said, "Who is on duty today?"
The Revealers said, "The Ding and Jia, the Duty Deities, and the Dharmapalas rotate. Among us Five Directional Revealers, the Gold-Headed Revealer stays by the master's side day and night without leaving."
The Pilgrim said, "In that case, let those not on duty withdraw first. Leave the Six Ding Spirit Generals, the Daily Duty Deity, and all the Revealers to protect my master. Old Sun is going to the gorge to find that cursed dragon and make him return the horse."
The spirits obeyed his orders. Sanzang, now somewhat reassured, sat on a stone ledge and urged the Pilgrim to be careful. The Pilgrim said, "Just set your mind at ease."
Truly a fine Monkey King! He tightened his cotton robe, hitched up his tiger-skin kilt , gripped his gold-banded iron staff , and, full of spirit, came to the edge of the gorge. Half in cloud, half in mist, he hovered over the water and shouted, "You muddy eel ! Give me back my horse!"
Now, the white dragon had swallowed Sanzang's horse and was resting at the bottom of the gorge. Hearing someone shouting and demanding the horse back, it could no longer contain its rage. It leaped out of the water and roared, "Who dares to spout such arrogant nonsense here?"
Seeing it, the Pilgrim let out a great shout, "Don't run! Give me back my horse!" He swung his iron staff and struck at the dragon's head. The white dragon bared its claws and fangs and met him head-on. The two engaged in a fierce battle by the gorge's edge, truly extraordinary in their valor. What a sight it was: The dragon extended its sharp claws; the monkey raised his golden staff. The one's beard hung like threads of white jade; the other's eyes flashed like lamps of red gold. From beneath the one's chin, brilliant pearls sprayed colored mist; in the other's hand, the iron staff danced like a wild wind. One was a wayward son who had brought ruin to his parents; the other was a fiend who had bullied the heavenly generals. Both had suffered calamities and ordeals; now, each sought to achieve success by displaying his own abilities.
They fought back and forth for a long time, but the white dragon gradually grew exhausted. It turned around, plunged back into the water, and hid at the bottom of the gorge, refusing to emerge again. No matter how the Monkey King cursed and shouted, it pretended to be deaf and mute.
The Pilgrim had no choice but to return to Sanzang and say, "Master, I cursed that monster out of the water. We fought for a while, but then it got scared and hid in the water, refusing to come out."
Sanzang said, "Did it truly eat my horse?"
The Pilgrim said, "What are you saying, Master! If it hadn't eaten it, why would it come out to fight me?"
Sanzang said, "A few days ago, when you fought the tiger, you boasted that you had the power to subdue dragons and tame tigers. How is it that today you cannot subdue this one?"
Nothing riled a monkey more than being provoked. Hearing Sanzang's words, the Pilgrim immediately displayed his divine might . "Say no more! Say no more! Let me go and settle this with him once and for all!"
The Monkey King strode to the gorge's edge and employed his magic to churn the seas and overturn the rivers . He stirred the clear waters of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge into a raging torrent, like the turbulent waves of the Nine-Bend Yellow River. The cursed dragon, deep in the gorge, grew restless and thought, "Truly, blessings never come in pairs, but misfortunes never come singly! I barely escaped the death sentence of Heaven less than a year ago, and I've been living here in peace. Now I've run into this mad fiend who wants to harm me!"
The more it thought, the angrier it became. Unable to swallow its rage, it gritted its teeth and leaped out of the water, roaring, "Where are you from, you mad fiend, that you dare to bully me like this?"
The Pilgrim said, "Never mind where I'm from! Just return my horse, and I'll spare your life!"
The white dragon said, "Your horse has already been swallowed into my belly! How can I spit it out? I won't return it! What can you do about it?"
The Pilgrim said, "If you won't return the horse, take my staff! I'll beat you to death and avenge my horse!"
The two fought bitterly again at the foot of the cliff. After only a few exchanges, the white dragon could no longer hold its ground. It shook its body, transformed into a water snake, and slithered into the grass, disappearing without a trace.
The Monkey King, staff in hand, searched through the grass for the snake, but found not a single trace. In his fury, the spirits of his three corpses leaped with rage and smoke poured from his seven orifices. He chanted the "Om" mantra and summoned the local Earth Spirit and Mountain Spirit. The two spirits hurriedly knelt and said, "The Mountain Spirit and Earth Spirit pay their respects to the Great Sage."
The Pilgrim said, "Stick out your legs! I'll give you five strokes each as a welcoming gift, to let Old Sun blow off some steam!"
The two spirits hastily kowtowed and begged, "We beg the Great Sage for mercy! Allow us to explain the situation."
The Pilgrim said, "What do you have to say?"
The two spirits said, "The Great Sage has been imprisoned for a long time. We did not know when you would be released, so we failed to welcome you. We beg your forgiveness for our transgression."
The Pilgrim said, "Since that's the case, I won't beat you. But I have a question: Where did that monster dragon in Eagle's Sorrow Gorge come from? Why did it steal and eat my master's white horse?"
The two spirits said, "The Great Sage has never had a master. You are a Primordial True Immortal who never submitted to Heaven or Earth. How could you have a master's horse?"
The Pilgrim said, "You don't know the whole story. In the past, because I caused havoc in Heaven, I suffered five hundred years of torment. Now, thanks to Bodhisattva Guanyin's persuasion, I was rescued by a true monk from the Tang Dynasty. He made me his disciple to go to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. When we passed by here, my master's white horse was lost."
The two spirits said, "So that's how it is. There has never been any monster in this gorge before. It's just that the water is deep, the cliffs are steep, and the river is wide. The water is so clear that it reflects everything. Even crows and magpies dare not fly over it—because when they see their own reflection in the clear water, they mistake it for a companion and often dive in and drown. That's why it's called 'Eagle's Sorrow Steep Gorge.' Some years ago, Bodhisattva Guanyin, while searching for the scripture pilgrim, saved a jade dragon and sent it here to wait for the pilgrim, forbidding it to do evil. When hungry, it comes ashore to catch birds, roe deer, and such. We don't know why it was so foolish today as to offend the Great Sage."
The Pilgrim said, "The first time, it fought me for a while. Later, when I cursed it, it refused to come out. I had to use my magic to churn the gorge's waters and muddy them up before it would leap out and fight again. But it couldn't withstand my iron staff, so it turned into a water snake and slipped into the grass. I can't find it anymore."
The Earth Spirit said, "The Great Sage doesn't know this, but this gorge has tens of thousands of interconnected holes and passages, and the water flows deep and far. It has likely escaped through one of these passages. There's no need for you to rage and search here. To capture it, you need only invite Bodhisattva Guanyin to come. Naturally, she will be able to subdue it."
Hearing this, the Pilgrim called the Mountain Spirit and Earth Spirit to accompany him to see Sanzang, and he recounted the situation. Sanzang said, "If we go to invite the Bodhisattva, how long will it take for her to return? I am cold and hungry—how can I endure it?"
No sooner had he spoken than the Gold-Headed Revealer called out from the dark sky, "Great Sage, you need not go yourself. This minor spirit will go and invite the Bodhisattva."
The Pilgrim was overjoyed. "Thank you for the trouble! Go quickly! Go quickly!"
The Revealer immediately mounted his cloud and sped straight to the Southern Sea. The Pilgrim ordered the Mountain Spirit and Earth Spirit to guard his master, told the Daily Duty Deity to go seek some food, and then began to patrol back and forth along the gorge's edge.
Now, the Gold-Headed Revealer, riding his cloud, soon arrived at the Southern Sea. Borne on auspicious light, he went straight to Purple Bamboo Grove on Mount Potalaka. After having the Golden Armored Heavenly Beings and Moksha Hui'an announce him, he was granted an audience with Bodhisattva Guanyin.
The Bodhisattva said, "What business brings you here?"
The Revealer said, "Tang Sanzang lost his horse at Coiled Snake Mountain's Eagle's Sorrow Gorge. The Great Sage Sun is in a difficult position. After inquiring with the local Earth Spirit, he learned that a karma-bound dragon sent here by the Bodhisattva swallowed the horse. The Great Sage sent this minor spirit to request that the Bodhisattva come and subdue the karma-bound dragon and return the horse."
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva said, "That cursed dragon is the son of Ao Run, the Dragon King of the Western Sea. Because he deliberately set fire to a luminous pearl in the palace, his father accused him of unfilial conduct, and he was sentenced to death in Heaven. I personally petitioned the Jade Emperor to spare his life and sent him here to serve as a mount for Tang Sanzang. How could he instead eat Tang Sanzang's horse? Well, no matter. Let me go and see."
The Bodhisattva descended from her lotus throne, left her immortal cave, and, together with the Revealer, rode on auspicious light, crossing the Southern Sea as they came. There is a poem to prove this: The Buddha preached the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, the Bodhisattva spread goodness throughout the Great Wall. The profound and wondrous words connected Heaven and Earth; the true Prajna teachings saved the spirits of the dead. The Golden Cicada was reborn from death, thus Xuanzang was made to cultivate once more. Only because the road was blocked at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge did the dragon prince return to the truth and transform into a horse.
In no time, the Bodhisattva and the Revealer arrived at Coiled Snake Mountain. Hovering in mid-air, they looked down and saw Sun the Pilgrim cursing and shouting by the gorge's edge. The Bodhisattva told the Revealer to summon him.
The Revealer descended on his cloud, bypassed Sanzang, and went directly to the gorge's edge, saying to the Pilgrim, "The Bodhisattva has arrived."
Hearing this, the Pilgrim immediately leaped into the air and shouted at the Bodhisattva, "You teacher of the Seven Buddhas, compassionate founder of the faith! How could you devise a scheme to harm me!"
The Bodhisattva said, "You reckless, impertinent monkey! You foolish stone ape! I took great pains to find the scripture pilgrim and instructed him to save your life. Instead of thanking me for my life-saving grace, you come to quarrel with me?"
The Pilgrim said, "You've done me a terrible wrong! Since you released me, you might as well have let me roam free and happy! A few days ago, you met me by the sea and told me to serve Tang Sanzang with all my heart—that would have been fine. But why did you give him a flowery cap, trick me into wearing it, and make me suffer? This band is stuck on my head, and you taught him to recite that 'Tight Band Spell.' That old monk recites it over and over, and it makes my head ache terribly! If that's not harming me, what is?"
The Bodhisattva laughed and said, "You monkey! If you won't follow instruction and refuse to cultivate the true fruit, how else can I restrain you? Without this, you would again deceive Heaven and defy authority, knowing no bounds! If you caused trouble again like before, who would clean up the mess? You need this band to rein you in before you will enter the Buddhist path and cultivate!"
The Pilgrim said, "I'll accept this band as my personal tormentor. But why did you send this guilty dragon here to become a fiend and eat my master's horse? Isn't that encouraging evil and showing a lack of compassion?"
The Bodhisattva said, "That dragon—I personally petitioned the Jade Emperor to spare him, and I placed him here specifically to serve as a mount for the scripture pilgrim. Think about it. An ordinary mortal horse from the Eastern Land—how could it endure the journey over ten thousand mountains and a thousand rivers? How could it reach the Buddha's land on Mount Spirit? Only this dragon-horse can complete the entire journey."
The Pilgrim said, "But he's so afraid of me now, he's hiding and won't come out. What's to be done?"
The Bodhisattva said to the Revealer, "Go to the gorge's edge and call out: 'Ao Run's Dragon King, Third Jade Dragon Prince, come out! The Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea is here!' Then he will come out."
The Revealer went to the gorge's edge and called twice. The little dragon stirred up the waves, leaped out of the water, transformed into a human form, stepped onto a cloud, and went up into the air to bow to the Bodhisattva, saying, "I have long been grateful for the Bodhisattva's grace in saving my life. I have been waiting here for a long time, but I have heard no news of the scripture pilgrim."
The Bodhisattva pointed at the Pilgrim and said, "Is this not the scripture pilgrim's senior disciple?"
Seeing him, the little dragon said, "Bodhisattva, this is my adversary. Yesterday, my stomach was empty with hunger, and indeed I ate his horse. Relying on his strength, he fought me until I was exhausted and fled back. Then he cursed at me until I dared not come out of my gate. He never once mentioned the word 'scripture-seeking.'"
The Pilgrim said, "You never asked me my name or who I was. How was I supposed to mention it?"
The little dragon said, "Did I not ask you where you came from, you mad fiend? You just shouted, 'Never mind where I'm from! Just give me back my horse!' When did you ever say a single word about 'Tang'?"
The Bodhisattva said, "You monkey, you always rely on your own strength. When would you ever praise another? On the journey ahead, there will be others who will submit. If you are asked, bring up the word 'scripture-seeking' first. Then you won't have to exert yourself, and they will naturally submit."
The Pilgrim was delighted to receive this instruction. The Bodhisattva stepped forward, plucked the luminous pearl from under the little dragon's chin, dipped a willow branch in sweet dew, and brushed it over his body. She blew a puff of immortal breath and cried out, "Change!" The dragon instantly transformed into his original horse's hide and markings. Then she gave him a command: "You must diligently atone for your karmic debts. When the task is accomplished, you will transcend all mortal dragons and be granted a golden body and a true reward." The little dragon, with the horizontal bone in his mouth, silently accepted the command.
The Bodhisattva instructed Wukong, "Lead him to see Sanzang. I am returning to the sea." The Pilgrim grabbed hold of the Bodhisattva and would not let go. "I'm not going! I'm not going! The road to the West is so rugged! Protecting this mortal monk—when will we ever arrive? With so many trials and tribulations, even Old Sun's life may not be safe. How can I achieve any merit? I'm not going! I'm not going!"
The Bodhisattva said, "In the past, before you had attained the human path, you were still willing to cultivate with all your heart. Now that you have escaped your heavenly calamity, how can you become lazy? In our school, we attain truth through tranquil extinction, and you must have firm faith and a true heart. If you ever find yourself in a place where your body is in danger and suffering is great, I grant you that when you call on Heaven, Heaven will answer; when you call on Earth, Earth will respond. And if you ever reach a point where you cannot escape, I myself will come to save you. Come here, and I will give you another ability." The Bodhisattva plucked three leaves from her willow branch and placed them behind the Pilgrim's head. She cried out, "Change!" and they transformed into three life-saving hairs. She instructed him, "If you ever find yourself in a desperate and hopeless situation, you can use these to adapt to circumstances and save yourself from urgent suffering."
Hearing all these kind words, the Pilgrim finally thanked the greatly compassionate Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva, surrounded by fragrant breezes and colorful mists, departed straight for Mount Potalaka.
Only then did the Pilgrim descend on his cloud. He grabbed the dragon-horse by its mane and came to see Sanzang, saying, "Master, here is the horse."
Sanzang was overjoyed at the sight and said, "Disciple, why is this horse even plumper than before? Where did you find it?"
The Pilgrim said, "Master, you're still dreaming! Just now, the Gold-Headed Revealer invited the Bodhisattva to come. She transformed the dragon in the gorge into our white horse. The hide and markings are the same, but it lacks a saddle and bridle. Old Sun grabbed it and brought it here."
Sanzang was astonished and said, "Where is the Bodhisattva? I must go and thank her."
The Pilgrim said, "The Bodhisattva has already returned to the Southern Sea. She's not interested in meeting you."
Sanzang then scooped up some earth, lit some incense, and bowed towards the south. After finishing his bows, he rose and began to pack up with the Pilgrim to move on. The Pilgrim dismissed the Mountain Spirit and Earth Spirit, gave orders to the Revealers and Duty Deities, and then invited his master to mount the horse.
Sanzang said, "How can I ride a horse without a saddle or bridle? Let's wait until we find a boat to cross the gorge, and then we'll figure something out."
The Pilgrim said, "Master, you have no sense of the situation! In this wilderness mountain, where would a boat come from? This horse has lived here for a long time and must know the currents. Just ride it across as if it were a boat."
Sanzang had no choice but to comply. He mounted the barebacked horse, and the Pilgrim, carrying the luggage, came to the gorge's edge. Just then, they saw an old fisherman upstream, poling a raft made of dead wood, floating downstream. Seeing him, the Pilgrim waved and called out, "You there, old fisherman! Come here, come here! I am a scripture-seeker from the Eastern Land. My master cannot cross this place. Come and ferry him across."
Hearing this, the old fisherman quickly poled his raft closer. The Pilgrim asked his master to dismount and helped him onto the raft. Sanzang boarded, brought the horse aboard, and secured the luggage. The old fisherman pushed the raft off, and it flew like an arrow in the wind. Before they knew it, they had crossed Eagle's Sorrow Steep Gorge and landed on the western bank.
Sanzang told the Pilgrim to open the bundle and take out a few copper coins from the Great Tang to give to the old fisherman. But the old fisherman pushed his raft off with a single pole and said, "No need for money, no need for money." He drifted away into the vast, misty expanse of the central current.
Sanzang felt deeply indebted and kept clasping his hands in thanks. The Pilgrim said, "Master, don't trouble yourself. You don't recognize him. He is the Water Spirit of this gorge. He didn't come to welcome Old Sun, so I was going to beat him. Just sparing him a beating is enough grace. How would he dare to take money?"
The master, half-believing and half-doubting, had no choice but to mount the barebacked horse again and follow the Pilgrim as they headed west along the main road. Truly, this was: The vast true nature ascends to the other shore; the sincere heart, purified, climbs Mount Spirit. As master and disciple journeyed on, before they knew it, the red sun had sunk in the west and the sky was growing dark. What they saw was this: Thin clouds were scattered and tangled; the mountain moon was dim and hazy. A frosty chill filled the sky; wind pierced through them from all sides. A solitary bird flew away over a vast, dark islet; where the sunset clouds shone bright, distant mountains lay low. A thousand trees in the sparse forest howled; on the empty mountain peaks, a lone gibbon cried. On the long road, no traveler's tracks were seen; it was the hour when ten thousand boats return home in the night.
Sanzang, looking into the distance from his horse, suddenly saw a manor by the roadside. Sanzang said, "Wukong, there are people ahead. We can ask for lodging and continue tomorrow morning."
The Pilgrim looked up and said, "Master, that is not a commoner's manor."
Sanzang said, "Why not?"
The Pilgrim said, "Commoner's manors don't have flying fish and stable beasts on their roof ridges. This is definitely a temple or a monastery."
As the master and disciple were speaking, they had already arrived at the gate. Sanzang dismounted and saw three large characters on the gate: "Li She Shrine." He entered the gate. Inside, there was an old man with a string of prayer beads around his neck, who came to greet them with his palms together, saying, "Venerable Master, please have a seat."
Sanzang hastily returned the greeting, went up to the hall, and paid homage to the sacred images. The old man then called for a boy to serve tea. After tea, Sanzang asked the old man, "Why is this shrine called 'Li She'?"
The old man said, "This place is within the borders of the Western Fan kingdom of Hami. Behind this shrine, there is a village of people who, with sincere devotion, built this shrine. 'Li' refers to a village or township; 'She' refers to the local Earth God. On the days of spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvest, and winter storage, each household prepares the three sacrificial animals, fruits, and flowers to come here and offer sacrifices to the Earth God, praying for peace throughout the four seasons, abundant harvests of the five grains, and thriving livestock."
Hearing this, Sanzang nodded in praise and said, "Truly, 'three miles from home, and the customs are entirely different.' In my homeland, there is no such pious practice."
The old man then asked, "Venerable Master, where is your immortal homeland?"
Sanzang said, "I am a poor monk from the Great Tang Empire in the Eastern Land. I have been sent by imperial decree to go to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Passing by your precious shrine, as the day is growing dark, I have come to your holy shrine to request lodging for one night. I will continue at dawn."
The old man was overjoyed. He murmured a few words of apology for not having welcomed them properly and then called for the boy to prepare a meal. After Sanzang had eaten, he gave his thanks.
The Pilgrim, with his sharp eyes, noticed a clothesline under the eaves. He walked over, yanked it down, and used it to tie the horse's leg. The old man laughed and said, "Where did you steal this horse?"
The Pilgrim said angrily, "You old fellow, you don't know how to speak properly! We are holy monks going to worship the Buddha. Would we steal a horse!"
The old man laughed and said, "If it wasn't stolen, why does it have no saddle or bridle? And why did you have to break my clothesline to tie it up?"
Sanzang apologized and said, "This mischievous fellow is just too impatient. If you wanted to tie up the horse, you should have politely asked the old gentleman for a rope. Why did you have to break his clothesline? Old sir, please don't be offended. To be honest with you, this horse was not stolen. Yesterday, as we came from the east, we reached Eagle's Sorrow Steep Gorge. I was riding a white horse with a full set of saddle and bridle. Unexpectedly, there was a cursed dragon in that gorge that had become a fiend. It swallowed my horse, saddle and bridle and all, in a single gulp. Fortunately, my disciple has some abilities, and we were also fortunate that Bodhisattva Guanyin came to the gorge and captured the dragon. She commanded it to transform into the white horse I was originally riding, with the same hide and markings, to carry me to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha. We crossed the gorge just today, and arrived at your holy shrine without having had time to acquire a saddle and bridle."
The old man said, "Venerable Master, don't be offended. I, this old man, was just joking. I never expected your esteemed disciple to take it so seriously. When I was young, I also had a bit of money and used to ride fine horses. But due to years of setbacks, losses, and fires, I ended up with nothing. So I became the temple keeper here, serving the incense and offerings. I rely on alms from the benefactors in the village behind to get by. I do happen to have a set of saddle and bridle stored away—something I've always treasured. Even in my poverty, I couldn't bear to sell it. Just now, hearing the venerable master's words, that the Bodhisattva would even save a divine dragon and make it transform into a horse to carry you—how could I, this old man, not offer a little assistance? Tomorrow, I will fetch that saddle and bridle and present them to the venerable master, hoping you will accept them."
Upon hearing this, Sanzang expressed his endless gratitude. Soon, the boy brought out the evening meal. After the meal, they lit the lamps, prepared the beds, and each retired for the night.
By the next morning, the Pilgrim got up and said, "Master, that old temple keeper promised us a saddle and bridle last night. Let's go ask him for it. Don't let him off easy." Before he had even finished speaking, the old man was already holding a full set of saddle and bridle—including the saddle blanket, reins, and everything else needed for a horse—all complete. He placed them in the corridor and said, "Venerable Master, here is the saddle and bridle."
Sanzang was delighted and accepted them. He told the Pilgrim to put them on the horse and see if they fit. The Pilgrim stepped forward, picked up each piece and examined it. They were truly fine items. There is a poem to prove this: The carved saddle gleamed with colors, inlaid with silver stars; the precious stirrups shone with light, bright with golden threads. The saddle blanket was layered with several folds of thick velvet; the reins were made of three strands of purple silk cord. The bit was crafted with round, gleaming flowers; the cloud-shaped ornaments were painted with gold and carved with dancing beasts. The rings and mouthpieces were forged from tempered iron; two tassels of knotted wool hung down on either side.
The Pilgrim was secretly pleased. He placed the saddle and bridle on the horse, and they fit perfectly, as if they had been made to measure. Sanzang bowed to thank the old man. The old man hastily helped him up and said, "I am ashamed! I am ashamed! There is no need for thanks!" The old man did not detain them further, but invited Sanzang to mount his horse. The elder walked out the gate, took hold of the saddle, and mounted the horse. The Pilgrim carried the luggage. The old man then took out a whip from his sleeve—it was a whip made of tightly woven leather strips, with a handle of fragrant rattan and a tip threaded with tiger sinew. He bowed by the roadside and offered it, saying, "Holy Monk, I also have a riding crop. I'll give this to you as well."
Seated on his horse, Sanzang accepted it and said, "Thank you for your generosity! Thank you for your generosity!"
Just as he was speaking, the old man had already vanished. When they looked back at the Li She Shrine, there was nothing but an empty patch of ground. They only heard a voice in the air saying, "Holy Monk, I apologize for my poor hospitality. I am the Mountain Spirit and Earth Spirit of Mount Potalaka. The Bodhisattva sent me to deliver this saddle and bridle to you. You must strive diligently on your westward journey. Do not be