Tang Sanzang, having preserved his primal essence and escaped the bitter sea of worldly temptations , followed the Pilgrim as they continued their westward journey. Before they knew it, summer had arrived, with warm breezes just beginning to stir and the season of plum rains in full swing. The scenery was truly beautiful:
Thick green shade spread gently in all directions, while light winds guided young swallows as they learned to fly. Fresh lotus leaves turned over on the pond's surface, and tall bamboos gradually grew straight and strong. Fragrant grasses stretched to the horizon in an unbroken expanse of green, while mountain flowers carpeted the ground everywhere. By the stream, rushes stood like swords thrust into the earth, and pomegranate blossoms blazed like fire, adding splendor to the travelers' path.
The four masters and disciples pushed on through the oppressive heat. As they walked, they suddenly noticed two rows of tall willow trees by the roadside. From within the willow shade emerged an old woman, her right hand holding a young child. She called out loudly to Tang Sanzang, "Monk, do not go any farther! Turn your horse around at once and head back east, for the road to the west is nothing but a path to death!"
Tang Sanzang was so startled that he immediately dismounted, bowed respectfully, and asked, " Venerable Bodhisattva , the ancients said, ' The sea is wide enough for fish to leap, and the sky is vast enough for birds to fly .' How can it be that there is no road to the west?"
The old woman pointed westward and said, "About five or six miles in that direction lies the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom . The king there, carrying a grudge from a previous life , has been recklessly committing sins in this one. Two years ago, he made a great vow to kill ten thousand monks. Over these two years, he has already killed nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-six nameless monks . He is only short four famous monks to make up the full ten thousand and fulfill his vow. If you go there and enter the city, you will be walking straight to your death!"
Tang Sanzang trembled with fear and stammered, "Venerable Bodhisattva, I am deeply grateful for your kindness! But may I ask if there is a small road that bypasses the city? I, this humble monk, would be willing to take a detour."
The old woman smiled and said, "There is no way around it, absolutely no way around it. Unless you can fly, there is no crossing this place."
Zhu Bajie, overhearing this, could not resist showing off and said, "Old mother, do not speak nonsense! We can all fly!"
But the Pilgrim, with his fiery golden eyes, had already seen through the disguise. The old woman holding the child was none other than the Bodhisattva Guanyin and the Sudhana youth . He immediately knelt and bowed, crying out, "Bodhisattva, your disciple has been remiss! I failed to welcome you from afar!"
The Bodhisattva mounted an auspicious cloud and gently ascended into the sky. Tang Sanzang was so frightened he could barely stand, and he simply knelt and kowtowed. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing also hurriedly knelt and bowed toward the heavens. After a moment, the auspicious cloud drifted away, heading back toward the Southern Sea.
The Pilgrim stood up, helped his master to his feet, and said, "Master, get up. The Bodhisattva has already returned to the Southern Sea."
Tang Sanzang stood up and complained, "Wukong, since you recognized it was the Bodhisattva, why did you not tell me sooner?"
The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You were still asking questions endlessly, and I immediately knelt down to pay my respects. Was that not soon enough?"
Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing asked the Pilgrim, "Thanks to the Bodhisattva's warning, we know that ahead lies the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom, where they kill monks. What are we to do?"
The Pilgrim said, "Fool, do not be afraid! We have faced venomous demons, fierce monsters, tiger dens, and dragon pools without being harmed. This is merely a mortal kingdom. What is there to fear? But we cannot linger here. It is getting dark, and if villagers returning from the market see that we are monks and raise an alarm, trouble will follow. Let us first take the master to a main road, find a secluded spot, and then decide on a plan."
Tang Sanzang agreed, and they retreated to a hollow by the roadside and sat down. The Pilgrim said, "Brothers, you two keep a close watch on the master. I will change my appearance and go into the city to scout for a small road so we can cross through the night."
Tang Sanzang cautioned him, "Disciple, this matter cannot be taken lightly. The king's decree is merciless. You must be careful!"
The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Rest assured! Rest assured! I have my ways."
Truly, the Great Sage was remarkable. With a single bound, he leaped into the air with a whoosh. How strange it was:
Above him, no rope pulled him up; below him, no pole pushed him. Though born of the same parents as other beings, his bones were naturally light.
Hovering on a cloud, he looked down and saw that the city was filled with an atmosphere of joy and auspicious light. The Pilgrim wondered, "Such a fine place—why is it called the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom?" He watched for a while as darkness gradually fell, and he observed:
At the crossroads, lanterns shone brightly; within the ninefold palace halls, incense smoke curled and bells tolled. Seven points of bright stars twinkled in the azure sky; travelers from all eight directions unloaded their burdens. In the six army camps, the faint sound of painted horns had just begun to blow; from the five-drum tower, the steady drip of the copper clepsydra began to fall. Mist shrouded the four quarters in dimness; cold smoke hung over the three marketplaces. Couple after couple retired behind embroidered bed curtains, and a bright moon ascended in the east.
He thought to himself, "If I go down to find a road looking like a monk, anyone who sees me will recognize me. I had better change my form." So he made a hand seal, recited a spell, shook his body, and transformed into a moth that flies toward lamps :
Its body was slender, its wings light and delicate, drawn to extinguish flames and candles, seeking out brightness. It had taken on this form from its original shape, a spirit born amidst decaying grass. It loved to touch blazing fires and flames, flitting about busily without rest. Its purple wings, fragrant with incense, chased after fireflies, and it delighted most in the deep night when the wind was still.
He fluttered gracefully through the streets and alleys, skimming close to the eaves and corners of houses. As he flew, he suddenly noticed a row of houses on a street corner, each with a lantern hanging at its door. He thought, "Are these people celebrating the Lantern Festival ? Why are there lanterns hanging along the entire row?" Flapping his wings, he drew closer to examine them. On the square lantern of the middle house were written the words, "Resting Place for Traveling Merchants," and below that, " Wang Xiao'er's Inn ." The Pilgrim realized it was an inn.
He peered inside and saw eight or nine people who had just finished their evening meal. They had taken off their clothes and head wraps, washed their hands and feet, and were all getting into bed. The Pilgrim was secretly delighted. "My master can get through!" How did he know? He had a mischievous plan—once these people were sound asleep, he would steal their clothes and head wraps, and they could disguise themselves as laymen to enter the city.
But things did not go as he had hoped! Just as he was thinking this, the innkeeper came forward and instructed them, "Dear guests, please be careful. This place has all sorts of people, and everyone's clothes and luggage must be watched." Merchants traveling on business were naturally cautious, and upon hearing the innkeeper's warning, they became even more careful. They all sat up and said, "The innkeeper is right. We are tired from our journey and afraid we might not wake up if we fall asleep too deeply. What if we lose something? Take our clothes, head wraps, and bundles inside, and return them to us just before dawn, so we can get on our way."
Wang Xiao'er indeed gathered all their belongings and carried them into the inner room. The Pilgrim grew anxious. He spread his wings, flew into the inner room, and landed on a rack for hanging head wraps. He saw Wang Xiao'er go to the door, take down the lantern, lower the door curtain, close the windows and doors, and then come inside to undress and go to sleep.
Wang Xiao'er had a wife with two children. The children were crying and fussing and would not go to sleep. His wife was also mending a torn garment by the lamp and would not rest. The Pilgrim thought, "If I wait for this woman to fall asleep before I act, I will surely delay my master!" Fearing also that the city gates might close if he waited too long, he could not help himself. He flew down and pounced on the lamp. Truly, it was a case of "sacrificing oneself to the flames, seeking life with a scorched forehead." The lamp went out instantly.
He then shook himself again and transformed into a rat. Squeaking twice, he jumped down, snatched up the clothes and head wraps, and scurried away. The woman cried out in panic, "Old man! Something terrible! A night rat has turned into a spirit!"
Hearing this, the Pilgrim used another trick. He blocked the door and called out loudly, "Wang Xiao'er, do not listen to your wife's nonsense! I am no night rat spirit. An upright man does not do things in secret. I am the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, descended to earth to protect the monk Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Your king is a tyrant, and I have come specifically to borrow a set of clothes to disguise my master. Once we have passed through the city, I will return them to you."
Wang Xiao'er, upon hearing this, scrambled up in the pitch darkness. Flustered, he grabbed his pants thinking they were his shirt, and fumbled around, unable to get dressed properly.
The Great Sage used a magic transportation spell and was already flying away on his cloud. He turned and flew back to the hollow by the roadside. Tang Sanzang, peering into the starlit night, saw the Pilgrim approaching and hurriedly asked, "Disciple, can we get through the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom?"
The Pilgrim set down the clothes and said, "Master, to cross the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom, we cannot be monks."
Zhu Bajie said, "Brother, who are you trying to trick? It is not hard to stop being a monk. Just go half a year without shaving your head, and your hair will grow back."
The Pilgrim said, "We cannot wait half a year! We must disguise ourselves as laymen right now!"
The Fool was alarmed. "What you are saying is nonsense! We are monks now. If we want to disguise ourselves as laymen, how can we wear head wraps? Even if we force them on, we have no hair to tie them with!"
Tang Sanzang scolded him, "Stop this foolish talk! Get to the point! How are we to get through?"
The Pilgrim said, "Master, I have already seen the city. Although the king is a tyrant who kills monks, he is nonetheless a true Son of Heaven, for auspicious light and joyful energy shine above the city walls. I have also learned the roads within the city and understand the local dialect. I just borrowed these clothes and head wraps from an inn. Let us disguise ourselves as laymen, enter the city, and find a place to stay. We will get up at the fourth watch, ask the innkeeper to prepare a vegetarian meal, and wait until the fifth watch. When the city gates open, we will leave. Even if someone stops us, we can explain ourselves: we will say we are envoys sent by the superior kingdom, and the king of the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom dared not stop us, so he let us pass."
Sha Wujing said, "Senior Brother's plan is thorough. Let us do as he says."
Tang Sanzang had no choice. He took off his monk's robe and hat, put on the layman's clothes, and tied on a head wrap. Sha Wujing also changed his clothes. Zhu Bajie's head was too large for the head wrap, so the Pilgrim took some needle and thread, sewed two head wraps together into one, and draped it over his head. He also found a large, loose garment for him to wear. Then the Pilgrim changed his own clothes as well and said, "Everyone, from now on, the words 'master' and 'disciple' must be put away."
Zhu Bajie asked, "Then what should we call each other?"
The Pilgrim said, "We will all address each other as brothers. The master will be called Lord Tang the First. You will be Lord Zhu the Third. Sha Wujing will be Lord Sha the Fourth. I will be Lord Sun the Second. When we get to the inn, do not speak. Let me do all the talking. If anyone asks what business we are in, say we are horse traders. Use this white horse as an example, and say we have ten brothers, with four of us sent ahead to book rooms and sell horses. The innkeeper will surely welcome us. Once we are settled, when we are ready to leave, I will turn a piece of silver into a reward for him, and then we will be on our way."
Tang Sanzang had no choice but to agree.
The four of them hurriedly led the horse, shouldered the luggage, and made their way to the roadside. The area was still peaceful, and as night had just fallen, the city gates had not yet been closed. They went straight into the city and arrived at the door of Wang Xiao'er's inn, where they heard someone inside shouting, "My head wrap is missing!" "My clothes are missing!" The Pilgrim pretended not to hear and led the group to an inn directly across the street. That inn still had its lights on. The Pilgrim went up and called out, "Innkeeper, do you have any vacant rooms? We would like to stay the night."
A woman inside replied, "Yes, yes, yes. Honored guests, please go upstairs." As she spoke, a man came out to take the horse. The Pilgrim handed the horse to him and led his master, following the lamplight to the stairway. On the upper floor, there were tables and chairs already set up. They pushed open the window and sat down in the moonlight.
Someone brought a lamp over, but the Pilgrim stopped them and blew it out, saying, "The moon is so bright. We do not need a lamp."
The person had just gone downstairs when a maidservant brought up four bowls of clear tea. The Pilgrim took them. Then a woman, about fifty-seven or fifty-eight years old, came up the stairs and stood beside them, asking, "Honored guests, where have you come from? What goods are you carrying?"
The Pilgrim said, "We have come from the north, bringing a few coarse horses to sell."
The woman said, "Horse traders are still so young."
The Pilgrim said, "This is Lord Tang the First, this is Lord Zhu the Third, this is Lord Sha the Fourth, and I am Lord Sun the Second."
The woman laughed and said, "So you are sworn brothers of different surnames."
The Pilgrim said, "Exactly. We are different by surname but share the same lodging. We have ten brothers in all. Four of us were sent ahead to book rooms and prepare a meal. The other six are still outside the city with a herd of horses. Since it was late, they could not enter the city. Once we have settled the rooms, they will come in early tomorrow morning. After we sell the horses, we will return."
The woman asked, "How many horses are in the herd?"
The Pilgrim said, "About a hundred or so, large and small. They are all about the same size as this horse of mine, just with different coat colors."
The woman laughed and said, "Lord Sun the Second is truly a clever merchant. It is a good thing you came to my house. Another inn would not dare to take you in. My courtyard is spacious, my mangers are plentiful, and I have plenty of fodder. I could even stable several hundred horses. But there is one thing I must make clear. I have been running this inn for many years and have earned a certain reputation. My husband's surname was Zhao, and he passed away long ago. Everyone calls this Widow Zhao's Inn. I have three different ways of receiving guests. Let us speak plainly first and agree on the room rate, so we can settle accounts later."
The Pilgrim said, "That is reasonable. What are these three ways of receiving guests in your house? As the saying goes, 'Goods have three grades and three prices; guests, whether near or far, share the same heart.' Why do you say there are three ways? Tell me about them."
Widow Zhao said, "I have three grades: superior, middle, and inferior. For the superior grade: a banquet of five fruits and five dishes, with a table decoration of lion-and-immortal sugar sculptures. Two people share a table, and young ladies are invited to sing and keep you company for the night. It costs five-tenths of a tael of silver per person, including the room charge."
The Pilgrim laughed and said, "That is cheap! In our place, five-tenths of a tael would not even cover the cost of inviting a young lady."
"For the middle grade: a shared table with fruits and warm wine. You play drinking games yourselves and do not need the ladies. It costs two-tenths of a tael per person."
The Pilgrim said, "Even cheaper! What about the inferior grade?"
The woman said, "I am embarrassed to speak of it in front of such distinguished guests."
The Pilgrim said, "Speak freely. We need to choose the one that suits us."
The woman said, "For the inferior grade: no one attends to you. There is cooked rice in the pot. Eat as much as you like. When you are full, take a bundle of straw, make a bed on the floor, and sleep wherever you like. At dawn, give a few coppers for the meal, and there will be no argument."
Zhu Bajie, upon hearing this, said happily, "Excellent! Excellent! Old Zhu's luck has come! Let me stare at the pot until I am full, then sleep by the kitchen stove!"
The Pilgrim said, "Brother, do not talk nonsense! We are traveling the world. Can we not earn a few taels of silver? Let us choose the superior grade and have it prepared quickly."
The woman was overjoyed. She immediately called out, "Serve the finest tea! Kitchen, prepare the things quickly!" Then she went downstairs and hurriedly gave orders, "Kill chickens and geese! Marinate the meat for a side dish! Also, kill a pig and a sheep. If we cannot finish it today, we can use it tomorrow. Prepare good wine, cook white rice, and bake white-flour cakes."
Tang Sanzang, hearing this upstairs, whispered to the Pilgrim, "Lord Sun the Second, this is bad! She is going to kill chickens, geese, pigs, and sheep. When she brings them up, we are all vegetarians. Who among us would dare to eat that?"
The Pilgrim said, "I have a plan." He walked to the top of the stairs, stamped his foot, and called out, "Mother Zhao, please come up here."
The widow came up and asked, "Lord Sun, what are your instructions?"
The Pilgrim said, "Do not kill any living creatures today. We are observing a fast today."
The widow asked in surprise, "Do you keep a permanent fast, or is it a monthly fast?"
The Pilgrim said, "Neither. We are observing the 'Gengshen Fast.' Today happens to be the Gengshen day, so we must fast. After the third watch, when the Xinyou day begins, we can break the fast. You can slaughter the animals tomorrow. For now, prepare some vegetarian dishes. We will still pay the price for the superior grade."
The woman was even more delighted. She ran downstairs and shouted, "Stop the slaughter! Stop the slaughter! Bring out some wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, and wheat gluten. Go to the garden and pick some greens. Make a vermicelli soup, steam some steamed buns, cook white rice, and brew good tea."
Ah! The cooks in the kitchen were all seasoned professionals who worked every day. In no time, everything was ready and brought upstairs. There were also ready-made lion-and-immortal sugar candies, and the four of them ate freely. The woman asked, "Would you like some vegetarian wine?"
The Pilgrim said, "Only Lord Tang the First does not drink. The three of us can have a few cups."
The widow brought a jug of warm wine. Just as the three of them were filling their cups, they heard a loud "bang!" The Pilgrim asked, "Mother, what fell downstairs?"
The widow said, "Nothing fell. It is just that some guests who came to deliver rent grain arrived late, and I let them sleep downstairs. Since you guests arrived, I had no one to run errands, so I told them to carry a sedan chair to the pleasure house to invite some young ladies to keep you company. That noise was probably the sedan pole hitting the floorboards."
The Pilgrim said, "Good thing you mentioned it! Do not go to fetch them. First, today is a fast day. Second, my brothers have not yet arrived. When they come in tomorrow, we will each invite a young lady and have a good time in your house. We will leave after we sell the horses."
The widow said, "Good! Good! That way, we do not spoil the mood, and you can conserve your energy." She immediately called out, "Bring the sedan chair back inside. There is no need to go."
The four of them ate their meal and drank their wine, then cleared everything away. Everyone else withdrew.
Tang Sanzang whispered to the Pilgrim, "Where are we to sleep?"
The Pilgrim said, "Right here upstairs."
Tang Sanzang said, "That is not safe. We are all tired. If we fall asleep, and someone from this house comes to clean up and sees that our head wraps have fallen off, revealing our bald heads, they will recognize us as monks and raise the alarm. What then?"
The Pilgrim said, "You are right!" He went to the top of the stairs and stamped his foot again. The widow came up once more. "Lord Sun, what other instructions do you have?"
The Pilgrim said, "Where are we to sleep?"
The woman said, "Upstairs is fine for sleeping. There are no mosquitoes, and there is a southern breeze. You can open the window and sleep comfortably."
The Pilgrim said, "We cannot sleep here. My Lord Zhu the Third suffers from dampness and chills. Lord Sha the Fourth has a shoulder ailment that is aggravated by drafts. Lord Tang the First can only sleep in complete darkness. And I myself am somewhat sensitive to light. This is not a suitable place to sleep."
The mother went downstairs and leaned against the counter, sighing. Her daughter, holding a child, came over and asked, "Mother, as the saying goes, 'You may sit by the shore for ten days, but you will travel nine shoals in one.' It is summer now, and business may be slow, but when autumn comes, we will have more than we can handle. Why are you sighing?"
The woman said, "My child, I am not worried about a lack of business. Tonight, just as I was about to close the shop, four horse traders arrived and asked for the superior grade of service. I thought I would earn a few silver coins, but then they said they were fasting, so I cannot make any money. That is why I am sighing."
The daughter said, "They have already eaten and cannot very well go to another inn. Tomorrow, prepare some meat and wine. Are you afraid you will not be able to make money then?"
The woman said, "But they all have ailments. They are afraid of drafts and light and want to sleep in a dark place. Look at our house—it is all single-tile roofs. Where is there a dark place? We might as well give them a free meal and send them to another inn."
The daughter said, "Mother, we have a dark place in our house. It is free of drafts and is excellent."
The woman asked, "Where?"
The daughter said, "When my father was alive, he had a large chest made. It is four feet wide, seven feet long, and three feet high. Six or seven people can sleep inside. Let them sleep in the chest."
The woman said, "I do not know if they will agree. Let me ask them. Lord Sun, I really have no dark place in my house, except for one large chest. It is airtight and lightproof. How would you like to sleep in the chest?"
The Pilgrim said, "Good! Good! Good!"
Immediately, a few servants brought the chest out, opened the lid, and invited them downstairs. The Pilgrim led his master. Sha Wujing carried the luggage on his shoulder. Following the lamplight, they arrived at the chest. Zhu Bajie, without a second thought, crawled inside first. Sha Wujing handed in the luggage, helped Tang Sanzang in, and then climbed in himself.
The Pilgrim asked, "What about my horse?"
A servant standing nearby said, "The horse is tied up in the back yard, eating fodder."
The Pilgrim said, "Bring it here. Also bring the manger and place it right next to the chest. Tie the horse there."
After the horse was arranged, the Pilgrim finally crawled into the chest and said to Widow Zhao, "Mother Zhao, put the lid on, slide the bolt, and lock it. Also, please check for us. If there are any cracks where light can get in, paste them over with paper. Come and open the door early tomorrow morning."
The widow said, "You are far too cautious!" After saying this, everyone went to close their doors and sleep. We will leave them for now.
Meanwhile, the four of them were inside the chest. It was truly pitiful! First, they were not used to wearing head wraps. Second, the weather was hot, and the chest was stifling, with not a breath of air coming through. They all took off their head wraps and clothes. Having no fans, they had to fan themselves with their monk's hats. They pressed against each other, crowded together, and endured until the second watch before finally falling asleep. Only the Pilgrim, deliberately looking for trouble, could not sleep. He reached out and pinched Zhu Bajie's leg.
The Fool drew back his leg and grumbled, "Go to sleep! I am exhausted. Why are you still fooling around and touching me?"
The Pilgrim deliberately tricked him, saying, "We originally had five thousand taels of silver. We got three thousand taels from selling horses before. Now there are another four thousand taels in these two bundles. This herd of horses can sell for another three thousand taels. That will be exactly double our capital. Enough! Enough!"
Zhu Bajie was already half asleep and did not even respond.
But unbeknownst to them, the inn's waiters, water carriers, and fire tenders were all in league with bandits. When they heard the Pilgrim talk about having so much silver, they secretly slipped out and gathered more than twenty bandits. Armed with torches and weapons, they came to rob the horse traders.
The bandits burst through the door. Widow Zhao and her daughter trembled with fear and bolted their door, letting the bandits ransack the place as they pleased. The bandits were not interested in the inn's belongings. They were only looking for the guests. They searched upstairs and found no one. Holding their torches high, they looked around and saw a large chest in the courtyard, with a white horse tied to its leg. The chest was locked, and they could not lift the lid.
The bandits said, "Traveling merchants always have their tricks. Look how heavy this chest is. They must have locked their money and luggage inside. Let us steal the horse and carry the chest out of the city. Then we can open it and split the loot. What a great plan!"
The bandits found ropes and carrying poles, lifted the chest, and carried it away, swaying as they went. Zhu Bajie woke up and said, "Brother, go to sleep. What is this shaking?"
The Pilgrim said, "Do not speak! No one is shaking anything."
Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing also woke with a start and asked, "Who is carrying us?"
The Pilgrim said, "Hush! Hush! Let them carry us! If they carry us all the way to the Western Heaven, it will save us the trouble of walking!"
The bandits, having succeeded, did not head west. Instead, they carried the chest toward the eastern part of the city. They killed the gate guards, broke open the city gates, and fled. The commotion immediately alarmed the entire city. Night watchmen from every street reported to the garrison commander and the military prefect of the eastern district.
The garrison commander and the military prefect, realizing this matter concerned their own responsibilities, immediately mustered their troops and archers and rode out of the city to pursue the bandits. Seeing the overwhelming force of the government soldiers, the bandits did not dare to resist. They dropped the chest, abandoned the white horse, and fled into the mountains.
The soldiers did not capture a single bandit. They only recovered the chest and the white horse and returned to the city in triumph. The garrison commander examined the horse by torchlight. It was truly a fine steed:
Its mane was divided like silver threads, its tail like a jade strip. What need was there to speak of the eight noble steeds or the dragon colts? It surpassed even the finest thoroughbreds. A thousand pieces of gold could buy its bones; it could chase the wind for ten thousand miles. Climbing mountains, it always merged with the blue clouds; neighing at the moon, it was as pure as white snow. Truly, it was a dragon leaving the sea islands, a welcome sight of a jade qilin on earth.
The garrison commander did not ride his own horse. Instead, he mounted this white horse and led his soldiers into the city. The chest was carried to the garrison commander's residence. Together with the military prefect, they affixed a seal to it and posted guards to watch over it. They would wait until dawn to report the matter to the king and ask for his judgment. The soldiers were then dismissed. We will leave this for now.
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang was complaining to the Pilgrim inside the chest. "You monkey-headed creature, you have doomed me! If I were caught outside and taken to the king of the Dharma-Destroying Kingdom, I could at least plead my case. But now, locked in this chest, first stolen by bandits and then seized by soldiers, when I am brought before the king tomorrow, I will be beheaded on the spot. That will conveniently make up his ten thousandth monk!"
The Pilgrim said, "There are people outside! If they open the chest and drag us out, we will either be tied up or hung up. It is better to endure this for now and avoid being bound and suspended. When I see that tyrant king tomorrow, I will have words to say. I guarantee that not a single hair on your head will be harmed. Sleep in peace."
At the third watch, the Pilgrim used a trick. He quietly took out his golden-banded staff, blew a breath of immortal energy on it, and shouted, "Change!" The staff instantly transformed into thousands of razors. He took one for himself and then commanded the tiny hair clones, each holding a razor, to go to the imperial palace, the five ministries, the six departments, and every government office to shave heads. Ah! This is truly what happened:
The Dharma King who sought to destroy the Dharma found the Dharma was boundless. The Dharma pervaded heaven and earth, and the Great Dao was open. All dharmas ultimately return to the One Essence; the three vehicles and their subtle wonders are fundamentally the same. They drilled open the jade chest to reveal the secret, and scattered golden hairs to break through the veil of ignorance. It was ensured that the Dharma King would attain the true fruit, neither born nor destroyed, free from coming and going in the void.
In the space of half a night, the shaving was completely done. The Pilgrim recited a spell, dismissed the local spirits, shook his body, and all the hairs on his arms retracted. He then changed all the razors back into the golden-banded staff, shrank it, and hid it in his ear. He transformed back into a tiny ant, crawled into the chest, resumed his original form, and stayed with Tang Sanzang inside the chest. We will leave this for now.
Now, in the imperial palace, the palace maids got up before dawn to wash and comb their hair. When they touched their heads, their hair was gone. The eunuchs, both senior and junior, also found their heads bald. They swarmed to the entrance of the bedchamber, played music to wake the king, and all of them, with tears in their eyes, dared not speak of their lost hair.
After a while, the queens of the three palaces woke up. When they touched their heads, their hair was also gone. They hurriedly took a lamp to the dragon bed and saw a monk lying in the brocade quilt. The queens could not help but cry out, waking the king.
The king quickly opened his eyes and saw the queen with a bald head. He sat up in alarm and said, "My beloved consort, how did you come to look like this?"
The queen said, "Your Majesty, you look the same!"
The king touched his own head and was terrified out of his wits. "What has happened to me!" he