Chapter 50: Desire Confounds Nature, Lust Stirs the Heart; Spirit Blinded, Mind Aroused, the Demon Is Met

A poem says:

This lyric to the tune of " Nankezi " tells of how Tang Sanzang escaped the icy peril of Celestial River, thanks to the old white turtle who ferried them to the opposite shore. The four pilgrims continued westward, and it was the deepest, coldest part of winter. Mist hung low in the forested groves; distant mountains stood barren and bare; the blue stones by the water's edge radiated a chilling cold.

As the master and his disciples journeyed on, they suddenly encountered another mountain. The path was narrow and steep, cluttered with rocks and dangerous ridges, making it difficult for both man and horse to advance. Sanzang reined in his horse and called out, "Disciples." Sun Wukong immediately led Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing forward, standing at attention, and asked, "Master, what are your instructions?"

Sanzang said, "Look at how high this mountain ahead is. I fear there may be tigers, wolves, and strange beasts that harm people. We must be especially careful this time!"

Wukong replied, "Master, set your heart at ease. Do not worry. We three brothers are of one mind, single-heartedly devoted to seeking the Buddhist scriptures . As long as we put forth our skills for subduing demons and monsters, what need is there to fear tigers, wolves, or evil beasts?"

Hearing this, Sanzang had no choice but to set his mind at ease and continue forward. When they reached the cliff at the entrance to the valley, they looked up and saw how truly perilous this mountain was:

The four pilgrims braved the wind and snow, shivering from the bitter cold as they crossed the high, steep mountain ridge. From afar, they saw tall buildings and pavilions nestled in a mountain hollow, the houses appearing peaceful and quiet. Sanzang, delighted from his horse, said, "Disciple, I have been both hungry and cold all day. Fortunately, there are buildings and houses in that hollow—they must be a farmstead or a temple. Let us go there to beg for some food, eat our fill, and then continue on our way."

Upon hearing this, Wukong quickly opened his eyes wide for a closer look. He saw a mass of dark clouds gathering there, exuding an aura of evil. He turned back to Sanzang and said, "Master, that place is not a good place to go."

Sanzang said, "There are clearly towers and pavilions there. How can it not be a good place?"

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, you do not know! On the road to the Western Heaven, there are many demons and evil spirits who are especially skilled at transforming into houses and estates to deceive people. Whether they appear as towers, houses, pavilions, or halls, they can conjure them all to fool people. Do you know the saying, 'The dragon has nine kinds of offspring '? One of them is called the 'Shen,' a giant clam that can breathe out a misty vapor which transforms into the illusion of towers and ponds. If you encounter a thick fog rising over a great river, the Shen will manifest this illusion. Even if ten thousand birds fly over to rest, they will all be swallowed in a single breath. This creature is the most harmful of all. The aura over there is so fierce and evil—we absolutely cannot enter."

Sanzang said, "Even if we cannot go in, I am truly hungry."

Wukong said, "If you are truly hungry, Master, then dismount first, sit down in this level place, and I will go elsewhere to beg for some food to bring back for you."

Sanzang did as he was told and dismounted. Bajie held the horse's reins, and Sha Wujing put down the luggage. They quickly opened the bundle, took out the alms bowl , and handed it to Wukong. Wukong took the bowl and instructed Sha Wujing, "Worthy brother, do not go forward. Protect the master well and have him sit here steadily. Wait until I have begged for food and returned, then we will continue westward."

Sha Wujing agreed. Wukong then said to Sanzang, "Master, this place is fraught with danger. Do not get up and go anywhere else. I am off to beg for food."

Tang Sanzang said, "Say no more. Go quickly and return quickly. I will wait for you here."

Wukong turned to leave, but then came back and said, "Master, I know you find it hard to sit still. Let me give you a safe way to stay put." So saying, he took out his Golden-Hooped Rod, shook it, and drew a circle on the level ground around Tang Sanzang. He had Sanzang sit in the middle, told Bajie and Wujing to accompany him on either side, and placed the horse and luggage nearby. Then, pressing his palms together before Sanzang, he said, "The circle I have drawn is stronger than walls of bronze or iron. Neither tigers, leopards, wolves, snakes, nor demons or monsters will dare approach it. But you absolutely must not step outside this circle. Only by sitting firmly in the middle will you be safe. If you so much as set one foot beyond the circle, you will surely fall into deadly danger. Remember this well! Remember this well!"

Sanzang did as he was told, and the master and disciples all sat down properly.

Only then did Wukong mount his cloud and go off to find a house to beg for food. He traveled southward and suddenly saw a grove of towering ancient trees with a village nearby. He descended from his cloud and examined the scene carefully:

The snow burdened the withered willows, and ice sealed the square pond. Sparse, slender bamboo swayed with green; lush, stately pines gathered in deep emerald. A few thatched cottages were half-silvered with snow; a small bridge slanted, its surface powdered white. By the hedge, narcissus flowers bloomed faintly; under the eaves, long icicles hung like rods. A biting wind carried a rare fragrance through the air, but the snow was so deep that the plum blossoms' source could not be seen.

As Wukong walked along, observing the village scene, he suddenly heard a creaking sound as a wicker door opened. An old man emerged. He leaned on a staff of thorn wood, wore a lambskin cap on his head, donned a tattered monk's robe, and had rush sandals on his feet. Leaning on his staff, he looked up at the sky and said to himself, "The northwest wind is rising. Tomorrow should be clear."

Before he had finished speaking, a little Pekingese dog ran out from behind him and began barking furiously at Wukong. The old man then turned his head and saw Wukong holding the alms bowl. Wukong quickly bowed and said, "Old benefactor, I am a monk from the Great Tang in the East, sent to the Western Heaven to pay homage to the Buddha and seek the scriptures. As I was passing through your esteemed region, my master grew hungry, so I have come especially to your house to beg for some food."

When the old man heard this, he nodded his head, leaned on his staff, and said, "Elder, do not beg for food. You have taken the wrong path."

Wukong said, "I have not taken the wrong path."

The old man said, "The main road to the Western Heaven is due north. From here to there is a thousand miles. Why do you not hurry back to the main road?"

Wukong laughed and said, "I was heading due north. My master is still sitting on the main road, waiting for me to return with the food."

The old man said, "This monk is talking nonsense! Your master is waiting for you on the main road to beg for food. A thousand miles from here—even if you walk quickly, it would take you six or seven days to get here. Then another six or seven days to walk back. Would your master not have starved to death by then?"

Wukong laughed and said, "To tell you the truth, old benefactor, I have not been away from my master for longer than it takes a cup of hot tea to cool, and yet I have already arrived here. Now that I have begged for the food, I can go back and still make it in time for the midday meal."

When the old man heard this, he was terrified and thought to himself, "This monk is a ghost! A ghost!" He quickly turned around and ran back into the house.

Wukong grabbed hold of him and said, "Where are you going, benefactor? If you have any food, please give me some."

The old man said, "It is not convenient! Not convenient! Go to another house!"

Wukong said, "Benefactor, you are being unreasonable! You say that I am a thousand miles from here. If I go to another house, that would be another thousand miles! My master would truly starve to death!"

The old man said, "To tell you the truth, my household has six or seven people, old and young. I just washed three measures of rice and put it in the pot, but it is not cooked yet. You had better go somewhere else and come back later."

Wukong said, "As the ancients said, 'Going to three houses is not as good as sitting in one.' I will just wait here for a while."

The old man, annoyed by this persistence, grew angry and raised his thorn-wood staff to strike. Wukong was not afraid at all. The old man struck him seven or eight times on his bald head, but it felt to Wukong like nothing more than an itch.

The old man said, "This is a monk who is not afraid of being beaten!"

Wukong laughed and said, "Old sir, strike me as much as you like. But remember this: each blow counts as one measure of rice. When the time comes, you will have to measure it out for me slowly."

When the old man heard this, he quickly threw down his staff, ran into the house, and slammed the door shut, shouting, "A ghost! A ghost!" All the people in the house were trembling with fear, and they bolted both the front and back doors.

Wukong, seeing that he had shut the door, thought to himself, "This old man said he had washed the rice and put it in the pot. I wonder if it is true or false. As the saying goes, 'The Way transforms the virtuous, and Buddhism transforms the foolish.' Let me go in and have a look." The Great Sage, reciting a spell and using his invisibility technique, walked directly into the kitchen. There he saw steam rising from the pot, which indeed contained half a pot of cooked dry rice. He pressed his alms bowl into the pot, filled it to the brim, then mounted his cloud and headed back. We will leave him for now.

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang had been waiting inside the circle for a long time, but Wukong had not returned. Stretching his neck to look around, he said, "Where has that monkey gone to beg for food?"

Zhu Bajie, standing by, laughed and said, "Who knows where he has gone to play! He talks of begging for food, but here he has left us sitting in a prison!"

Sanzang said, "What do you mean, 'sitting in a prison'?"

Bajie said, "Master, you really do not know! The ancients said, 'Draw a circle on the ground for a prison.' He used his rod to draw a circle and claimed it was stronger than walls of bronze or iron. If tigers, wolves, or monsters come, how can this possibly stop them? We would just be delivering ourselves up to be eaten!"

Sanzang said, "Wuneng, what do you suggest we do?"

Bajie said, "This place neither blocks the wind nor shelters us from the cold. In my opinion, we should just follow the path westward. When the elder brother has begged for his food, he will be riding his cloud and can certainly catch up to us quickly. If there is food, we can eat it and then go on. We have been sitting here for so long that my feet are frozen stiff!"

When Sanzang heard this, it was as if an ill-fated star had entered his life. He actually listened to the Fool's words and, together with Bajie and Sha Wujing, stepped outside the circle. Sha Wujing led the horse, Bajie shouldered the luggage, and the elder walked forward on foot along the path.

In no time at all, they arrived at the buildings they had seen earlier. It turned out to be a south-facing mansion. Outside the gate was a whitewashed wall shaped like the character "eight," and there was a gatehouse with an inverted lotus design, all decorated in color. The gate was half-open, half-closed.

Bajie tied the horse to the drum-shaped stone hitching post by the gate, and Sha Wujing put down the luggage. Sanzang, afraid of the wind, sat on the threshold. Bajie said, "Master, this place looks like the mansion of a duke or a high official. There is no one in front of the gate; they must all be inside warming themselves by the fire. You sit here, and I will go in and have a look."

Tang Sanzang said, "Be careful! Do not offend anyone."

The Fool said, "I know. Ever since I returned to the Buddhist faith, I have learned some manners. I am no longer the crude fellow I used to be."

The Fool tucked his rake into his belt, straightened his brocade robe, and walked through the gate with an air of refinement. Inside, he saw a three-bay main hall with the curtains hanging high. It was eerily silent, with no one around, and there was no furniture at all. He walked around a screen wall and entered a covered corridor. Behind the corridor stood a large tower. The windows on the upper floor were half-open, and he could vaguely make out a yellow silk canopy inside.

The Fool said, "I suppose someone is afraid of the cold and is still sleeping." Without caring whether it was an inner or outer chamber, he strode up the stairs. He reached out and lifted the canopy to look, and what he saw nearly made him fall over in fright. For on the ivory bed under the canopy lay a pile of gleaming white bones. The skull was as big as a bushel basket, and the leg bones were four or five feet long.

The Fool steadied himself, but could not help the tears streaming down his cheeks. He nodded at the skeleton and sighed, "I do not know whether you were the body of a marshal from some dynasty or some kingdom, or a great general of some nation. In your time, you were a hero vying for supremacy. Today, in this desolation, your bones and sinews lie exposed. No wife or children come to attend you; what soldier would burn incense for you? Seeing this, one cannot help but sigh deeply—how pitiful that the man who once built a kingdom and carved out an empire should come to this!"

As Bajie was sighing, he suddenly saw a flash of fire behind the canopy. The Fool said, "I suppose there must be someone tending the incense in the back." He quickly walked around the canopy to look, but found it was simply the light coming through the windows of the tower. Over there was a painted lacquer table, on which several pieces of brocade clothing were casually draped. Bajie picked them up and saw that they were three sleeveless vests made of fine, patterned silk.

Without caring whether they were good or bad, he took the vests, went downstairs, walked out through the main hall, and went to the gate, saying, "Master, there is no one living in this place at all. It is an empty house. I went inside, all the way to the high tower, and in the yellow silk canopy, there was a pile of bones. Beside the tower, I found three sleeveless brocade vests. I have brought them back—consider it our good luck. Now that it is so cold, we can wear them to keep warm. Master, take off your outer robe and put one of these vests on underneath. It will warm you up and keep you from freezing."

Sanzang said, "No, no! The rules say, 'Whether taken openly or taken in secret, it is still theft.' If someone discovers this and pursues us, we would be taken before the magistrate and convicted of theft. Take them back quickly and put them where they were! We will shelter here from the wind and wait for Wukong to return before we go on. A monk cannot be so greedy for petty gains."

Bajie said, "There is no one around, not even a chicken or a dog. Only we know about this. Who is going to report us? What evidence is there? It is just like finding something! Why make a distinction between taking it openly or in secret?"

Sanzang said, "Do not be reckless! Even if men do not know, how could Heaven not know! The Mysterious Emperor has taught: 'If you do a shameful deed in a dark room, the eyes of the gods are as bright as lightning.' Take them back quickly. Do not covet things that are not yours to take."

The Fool paid him no heed at all. He laughed and said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, in all the years I have lived, I have worn a few vests, but I have never seen such fine brocade vests as these. If you will not wear one, let me wear one first to try it out and warm my back. When the elder brother comes, I will take it off and put it back before we go."

Sha Wujing said, "Since that is the case, I will wear one too."

The two of them took off their outer robes and put the vests on. No sooner had they fastened the straps than they suddenly found themselves unable to stand. With a thud, they fell to the ground. It turned out that these vests were worse than ropes; in the blink of an eye, they had bound the two of them hand and foot, trussed up tightly.

Sanzang was so frightened that he stamped his feet in panic. He rushed forward to try to untie them, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not loosen the bonds. The three of them began to cry out in distress, and their cries alarmed the demon king.

As it turned out, that tower had indeed been conjured up by a demon, who used it every day to catch people. The demon was sitting in his cave when he suddenly heard the sound of angry cries. He hurried out to look and indeed saw several people tied up. The demon immediately called to his little imps, and they all ran over together. They withdrew the illusion of the tower and buildings, lifted Tang Sanzang up, took the white horse, shouldered the luggage, and dragged Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing all into the cave.

The old demon sat on his high throne, and the little imps pushed Tang Sanzang before him, forcing him to kneel. The demon asked, "Where are you monks from? How dare you be so bold as to steal my clothes in broad daylight?"

Sanzang, with tears streaming down his face, begged for mercy, saying, "I am a poor monk from the Great Tang in the East, sent to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Because I was hungry, I sent my eldest disciple to beg for food, and he has not yet returned. I did not listen to his advice and mistakenly wandered here to shelter from the wind. It was not my intention, but these two disciples of mine grew greedy and took your clothes. I, a poor monk, had no evil intentions. At the time, I ordered them to return them. But they would not listen; they insisted on putting them on to warm their backs. Little did they know that they would fall into your majesty's trap, and I, a poor monk, was also captured. I humbly beg your majesty to show mercy and spare my life, so that I may obtain the true scriptures. I will forever remember your great kindness and, upon my return to the East, will spread word of your virtuous deed for a thousand generations!"

The demon laughed and said, "I have long heard that eating a piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh can turn white hair black and make lost teeth grow back. Today, you have come to me of your own accord, and you still want me to spare you? What is the name of that eldest disciple of yours, and in which direction did he go to beg for food?"

Zhu Bajie, upon hearing this, immediately spoke up, "My elder brother is Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, who five hundred years ago wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace!"

When the demon heard that it was Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, he was somewhat alarmed in his heart. He did not say anything out loud, but he thought to himself, "I have long heard that this monkey has vast supernatural powers. I never thought I would run into him today." He then gave his orders: "Little ones, tie Tang Sanzang up tightly! Take the magic treasures off those two monks and replace them with ropes. Tie them up as well. Carry them all to the rear hall first. When I have captured their eldest disciple, we will wash them all together and steam them in a pot to eat."

The little imps acknowledged the order, tied up Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, and carried them to the rear hall. They also tied the white horse to the trough and carried the luggage into the house. All the little imps busied themselves sharpening their weapons, preparing to capture the Pilgrim. We will leave them for now.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong, having obtained a bowl of rice from the household in the southern village, was riding his cloud back. When he reached the level ground on the mountain slope where he had left them, he descended from his cloud but saw no trace of Tang Sanzang. He had no idea where they had gone. The circle drawn by his Golden-Hooped Rod was still there, but the men and the horse were gone. Furthermore, the buildings they had seen earlier had all vanished, leaving only strange boulders at the foot of the mountain.

Wukong's heart began to race with panic. "There is no need to wonder!" he said. "They have surely fallen into the deadly hands of some demon!" He quickly followed the tracks of the horse and rushed westward in pursuit.

After traveling five or six miles, feeling deeply distressed, he suddenly heard voices coming from beyond the northern slope. He looked up and saw an old man. He was wrapped in a felt coat, wore a warm cap on his head, and had on a pair of half-worn, half-new oiled leather boots. In his hand, he leaned on a dragon-headed staff. Behind him followed a young servant boy who was carrying a broken branch of winter plum blossoms. They were walking along in front of the slope, singing a song.

Wukong put down the alms bowl, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Venerable sir, I, a poor monk, pay my respects to you."

The old man immediately returned the bow and asked, "Elder, where have you come from?"

Wukong said, "We have come from the East, on our way to the Western Heaven to pay homage to the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Our party consists of four people, master and disciples. Because my master was hungry, I went to beg for food, leaving the three of them waiting on this level ground of the mountain slope. But when I returned, the men were gone, and I do not know which path they took. I trouble you, sir, have you seen them?"

When the old man heard this, he gave a cold laugh and said, "Among your three companions, was there one with a long snout and big ears?"

Wukong said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The old man asked again, "And was there another with a gloomy expression, leading a white horse, and following a fat, white-faced monk?"

Wukong said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The old man said, "They have taken the wrong path. Do not go looking for them. Better to look after your own life."

Wukong said, "That white-faced one is my master. Those with strange appearances are my junior brothers. We have all sworn a vow to go to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. How could I not go looking for them!"

The old man said, "As I was passing by here just now, I saw them take the wrong path and stumble into a demon's territory."

Wukong said, "I trouble you, sir, to point me the way. What kind of demon is it, and where does he live? I will go to his door and demand my people back, so that we may continue our journey westward."

The old man said, "This mountain is called Gold Mountain. In front of the mountain is Gold Cave, and in the cave lives a Great King with a Single Horn. That great king has vast supernatural powers and superb martial arts. Your three companions are surely beyond saving. If you go looking for them, I fear you may not even be able to save yourself. It would be better if you did not go. I dare not stop you, nor dare I keep you. You must decide for yourself."

Wukong bowed once more and said in gratitude, "Thank you for your guidance, venerable sir. How could I possibly not go look for them!" So saying, he poured the rice from his alms bowl out for the old man, and put away the empty bowl himself.

The old man put down his staff, took the alms bowl, and handed it to the servant boy. Suddenly, they both revealed their true forms and knelt down, kowtowing, saying, "Great Sage, we humble gods dare not hide the truth from you. We are the Mountain God and the Earth God of this mountain. We have been waiting here especially for you. As for this alms bowl of rice, we humble gods will keep it for now, so that you, Great Sage, may travel light and display your magical powers to the fullest. When you have rescued Tang Sanzang, we humble gods will return the food to him, and it will also demonstrate your filial piety, Great Sage."

Wukong shouted, "You two little ghosts, looking for a beating, are you! Since you knew I was coming, why did you not come out to greet me earlier? Why did you hide and skulk about? What is the meaning of this?"

The Earth God said, "Great Sage, you have a quick temper. We humble gods dared not be presumptuous, for fear of angering you. That is why we changed our forms to inform you."

Wukong's anger subsided, and he said, "I will let it slide this time. If you dare do this again, I will beat you! Take good care of my alms bowl for me, and wait while I go catch that demon!" The Mountain God and the Earth God quickly agreed.

The Great Sage then tightened his tiger-sinew sash, tugged at his tiger-skin kilt, lifted his Golden-Hooped Rod, and headed straight for the front of the mountain to find the demon's cave. Turning around a cliff, he saw a mass of scattered rocks. By a green cliff stood two stone doors, and outside the doors were many little imps, all brandishing spears and swords. The scene was truly like this:

Mists and clouds gathered auspiciously; moss and lichen piled up in green layers. Jagged, towering strange rocks were arrayed in rows; winding, twisting paths meandered about. Gibbons called and crows cried in a beautiful landscape; phoenixes soared and danced as if in the land of the immortals. By the sunny slope, a few plum trees were just beginning to bloom; in the warmth, a thousand bamboo stalks stood naturally green. Below the steep cliffs, within the deep ravines—below the steep cliffs, snow was piled like white powder; within the deep ravines, water had turned to ice. The twin groves of pine and cypress were ancient and beautiful; a few clusters of mountain camellias were all equally red.

The Great Sage could not take in all the scenery at once. He strode up to the gate and shouted loudly, "You little imps, go quickly and tell your cave master: I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, and the disciple of the holy monk of the Great Tang! Tell him to send my master out immediately, or else you will all lose your lives!"

Those little imps rushed into the cave and reported, "Great King, outside there is a monk with a hairy face and a pointed mouth. He calls himself Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, and he has come to demand his master!"

When the demon king heard this, his heart was filled with joy, and he said, "I have been waiting for him to come! Ever since I left the Heavenly Palace and descended to this mortal world, I have not yet had a good chance to test my martial skills. Now that he has come, he will certainly be a worthy opponent." He immediately gave the order: "Little ones, bring out my weapon!"

All the demons, big and small, in the cave became spirited and alert. They quickly carried out a steel spear, one zhang and two chi long, and handed it to the old demon king. The old demon king then issued another command: "Little ones, all of you, get into formation! Those who charge forward will be rewarded; those who retreat will be beheaded!"

The multitude of imps acknowledged the order and followed the old demon king as he charged out of the cave, shouting, "Which one is Sun Wukong?"

The Pilgrim dodged to one side and saw that the demon king was exceptionally fierce in appearance:

His single horn jutted out unevenly; his two eyes shone with a dazzling light. Thick, rough skin bulged on the top of his head; the black flesh around his ears was shiny. His tongue was so long that it sometimes licked his nose; his mouth was wide, revealing yellow, board-like teeth. His fur was as green as indigo; his sinews were as hard as steel. He was like a rhinoceros that could not see its reflection in water, like a bull that did not plow the fields. He had no use for the moon-gazing, cloud-plowing ways of ordinary beasts; instead, he possessed a power that defied heaven and shook the earth. His two hands were like dried, sinewy blue-indigo claws; his fierce majesty was straight and true as he held his steel spear. A careful look at this fearsome figure showed that he was truly worthy of the name "Great King with a Single Horn!"

The Great Sage Sun stepped forward and said, "Your grandfather Sun is right here! Send my master back to me at once, and we will not harm each other! If you dare to say so much as half a 'no,' I will make you die without a place to be buried!"

The demon king roared, "You reckless, insolent monkey! What skills do you have, that you dare to speak such big words!"

Wukong said, "You monster, I am afraid you have never seen Old Sun's abilities!"

The demon said, "Your master stole my clothes, and I have caught him. I am now preparing to steam him and eat him. If you have any skill, then come and fight me. If you can defeat me in three rounds, I will spare your master's life. If you cannot, then you will die along with him!"

Wukong laughed and said, "You vile thing! Stop your babbling! If you want a fight, that suits me perfectly! Come on, take a blow from my staff!"

The monster was not at all afraid of the challenge. He thrust his steel spear forward and charged straight at him. This battle was truly fierce!

The Golden-Hooped Rod was raised; the long spear met it. The Golden-Hooped Rod rose, glittering like a golden snake in a flash of lightning; the long spear came forward, shining brightly like a dragon emerging from the black sea. The little imps at the gate beat their drums, forming a battle array to boost their master's power. On this side, the Great Sage displayed his skills, unleashing his full might. There, a single spear, wielded with spirit and verve; here, a single staff, displaying superb martial arts. Truly, it was a hero meeting a hero, a worthy opponent encountering a worthy foe. The demon king spewed purple mist from his mouth, which coiled like clouds; the Great Sage shot brilliant light from his eyes, which gathered into embroidered vapors. All because the monk of the Great Tang was in peril, these two, without mercy, fought bitterly.

The two of them fought for thirty rounds, but neither could gain the upper hand. The demon king saw that Sun Wukong's staff technique was flawless, every move and counter-move without the slightest opening. Delighted, he shouted in praise, "Good monkey! Good monkey! This is truly the skill of the one who once wreaked havoc in Heaven!"

The Great Sage also admired the demon's spear technique, which was never disordered, with his left-hand parries and right-hand blocks all executed with perfect form. He too shouted, "Good demon! Good demon! You are indeed a demon king who has stolen the elixir of immortality!" The two of them