As the demon had bound Sha Monk, he neither killed him, beat him, nor cursed him. Gripping his steel blade , the demon thought to himself: "Tang Sanzang is a man from a superior nation; he must understand propriety and righteousness . Surely he would not spare my life only to send his disciples to capture me, would he? Hmph! My wife must have secretly written a letter and sent it to her kingdom, leaking the truth! I will go and question her!" A sudden murderous intent surged within the demon; he resolved to kill the princess .
Meanwhile, the princess, unaware of this, had just finished her toilette and came forward to meet the demon. She saw him glaring, brows furrowed, teeth clenched in fury. Forcing a smile, she greeted him: "My lord, what troubles you so?"
The demon roared and cursed: "You faithless, shameless woman! You have no sense of human bonds! When I first brought you here, I never mistreated you. You wear brocade silks and adorn yourself with gold and silver ; whatever you lack, I procure for you. Throughout the four seasons , you want for nothing in food and clothing, and daily I have shown you deep affection. Yet you think only of your parents, with not a shred of husband-wife loyalty !"
Terrified, the princess fell to her knees: "My lord, why do you speak of parting today?"
The demon retorted: "Who knows who will part from whom! I captured Tang Sanzang, intending to make a meal of him, but without a word to me, you released him. Surely you secretly wrote a letter and had him deliver it. Otherwise, why would those two monks come beating at my door, demanding that I send you back? If not for your doing, whose doing was it?"
The princess pleaded: "My lord, you wrong me! When did I ever write a letter?"
The old fiend bellowed: "Still you lie! I have a witness right here—how can this be false?"
The princess asked: "Who is the witness?"
The old demon replied: "Tang Sanzang's second disciple, Sha Monk!"
When a person faces the brink of death, who willingly accepts their fate? The princess had no choice but to dissemble: "My lord, calm your anger. Let me go and question him. If there truly is a letter, I will gladly accept death, even if beaten to death. But if there is none, would you not be killing me unjustly?"
Without listening, the demon spread his massive, azure-blue hands , as large as a winnowing basket , seized the princess by her golden hair , dragged her before him, and threw her to the ground. Then, brandishing his steel blade, he interrogated Sha Monk with a great shout: "Sha Monk! Do you two dare to attack my door uninvited? Did this woman send a letter to her kingdom, and did the king dispatch you?"
Bound there, Sha Monk saw the demon's ferocity and how he had thrown the princess down, raising his blade to kill her. He thought to himself: "It was the princess who wrote the letter and saved my master—a great kindness. If I speak the truth, the demon will surely kill her, and I would be repaying kindness with enmity. Enough! Enough! I, Old Sha, have followed the master without achieving any merit. Now that I am bound, let me use this life to repay the master's and the princess's kindness!"
Thus, Sha Monk roared: "Demon, do not be rude! When did she ever write a letter? You wrong her so, and now you seek her life! We came to demand the princess for a reason: because you captured my master and brought him into your cave, where he saw the princess's appearance and demeanor. Later, when we reached the Precious Elephant Realm to exchange travel permits, the king produced a portrait of the princess and inquired everywhere about her whereabouts. He showed the portrait to my master, asking if he had seen her along the way, and my master spoke of the princess. Only then did the king learn she was his daughter. He granted us imperial wine and sent us to capture you and bring the princess back to the palace. This is the truth! Where is there any letter? If you must kill someone, kill me, Old Sha! Do not wrong an innocent and offend heaven's justice !"
Seeing Sha Monk's righteous defiance, the demon lowered his blade, raised the princess with both hands, and said: "I was too hasty and offended you greatly. Please do not take offense." He then helped arrange her hair, coaxed her with soft, gentle words, and led her back into the cave, seating her in the place of honor to apologize.
Being a woman, the princess softened when the demon admitted his fault and apologized. She said: "My lord, if you still value our bond as husband and wife, loosen Sha Monk's ropes a little."
Hearing this, the old fiend ordered the little demons to untie Sha Monk's ropes and replace them with chains. Freed from the ropes but still chained, Sha Monk stood up, secretly pleased: "As the ancients said , ' He who helps others helps himself .' I helped the princess just now, and she persuaded the demon to loosen my bonds. It was not in vain."
The old demon then ordered a feast to be laid out, to apologize to the princess and calm her nerves. When he was half-drunk, the demon changed into bright new clothes, girded a precious blade at his waist, turned to the princess, and said: "Wife, stay here and drink, watch over our two children, and do not release Sha Monk. While Tang Sanzang is still in the Precious Elephant Realm, I will go quickly to acknowledge our kinship ."
The princess asked: "What kinship do you acknowledge?"
The old demon replied: "I will acknowledge your father, the king! I am his son-in-law, and he is my father-in-law . How can I not go to see him?"
The princess said: "You cannot go."
The old demon asked: "Why can I not go?"
The princess explained: "My father's kingdom was not won through battle; it was passed down through generations. He has been crown prince since childhood and ascended the throne as king, rarely even leaving the city gates . He has never seen a fierce person like you. With your hideous appearance , you will frighten him, which would be unwise. It is better not to go and claim kinship."
The old demon said: "If that is the case, I will transform into a handsome man and go."
The princess said: "Show me your transformation."
What a demon! At the feast, he shook himself and transformed into a handsome young man . Truly, he was: of elegant demeanor and imposing stature , his speech refined and courtly, his manner youthful and spirited. His talent was like that of the poet Zi Jian , composing verses with ease; his appearance was as fair as Pan An , so handsome that women would throw fruit into his carriage. On his head, he wore a magpie-tail cap , his dark hair neatly tucked beneath; his body was clad in a jade-white silk robe with wide, flowing sleeves . On his feet were black boots with patterned trim , and at his waist hung a bright oriole-emblazoned belt . His divine bearing was truly that of an extraordinary man, towering and magnificent, a paragon of youthful beauty.
The princess was overjoyed at the sight. The demon laughed and asked: "Wife, is this form handsome enough?"
The princess replied: "Handsome! Handsome! When you enter the court, my father, out of kinship, will surely have the civil and military officials keep you for wine. But while drinking, you must be extremely careful not to reveal your original form. If you expose yourself and the truth leaks out, it will be most unseemly."
The old fiend said: "No need for your instructions; I have my own methods."
See him mounting a cloud, he soon arrived at the Precious Elephant Realm. Descending his cloud-light, he walked to the palace gate and said to the gatekeeper: "The Third Son-in-Law has come specially to pay homage to the king. Please announce me."
The eunuch in charge of memorials went to the white jade steps and reported: "Your Majesty, the Third Son-in-Law has come to pay homage and awaits your summons outside the palace gate."
The king was just conversing with Tang Sanzang when he suddenly heard "Third Son-in-Law." He asked his officials: "I have only two sons-in-law. How does a third appear?"
The officials said: "This Third Son-in-Law must be a transformed demon!"
The king asked: "Should I summon him in?"
The elder grew anxious and said: "Your Majesty, demons are most cunning. They know the past and the future and can ride clouds and mists. Whether you summon him or not, he will come. It is better to summon him and avoid further trouble."
The king approved the memorial and issued a decree summoning him. The demon entered the golden throne hall and, imitating a courtier, performed the kneeling ritual. The officials, seeing his handsome appearance, could not believe he was a demon—for they were all mortals with ordinary eyes and took him for a true son-in-law.
The king, impressed by his extraordinary bearing, thought him a talent who could aid the state, and asked: "Son-in-law, where do you live? From what place do you hail? When did you marry my daughter? Why have you only come to acknowledge kinship today?"
The old fiend kowtowed and said: "Your Majesty, your subject lives at the Bowl Mountain, Moon Wave Manor, east of the city."
The king asked: "How far is your manor from here?"
The old fiend replied: "Not far, only three hundred miles."
The king said: "Three hundred miles! How did my daughter come to be there and marry you?"
The demon fabricated a tale of sweet words and false sentiment: "Your Majesty, your subject has loved archery and horsemanship since childhood, living by the hunt. Thirteen years ago, I was hunting with dozens of servants, leading hounds and flying falcons, when I suddenly saw a striped tiger carrying a woman on its back, heading down a hillside. I drew my bow, shot the tiger with an arrow, and brought the woman back to my manor. I revived her with warm water and asked where she was from. She never mentioned the word 'princess.' Had I known she was Your Majesty's third daughter, how would I have dared to covet her and marry her without permission? I would have sent her back to the palace long ago and begged Your Majesty for a minor post. But she claimed she was from an ordinary commoner's family, so I kept her in my manor. We were well-matched in talent and beauty, and our affections grew, so we married all these years. After the wedding, I wanted to kill the tiger and invite relatives for a feast, but the princess forbade it. Her reason for not killing the tiger was quite profound; she said: 'Heaven and earth witnessed our union as husband and wife, though we had no matchmaker or witness. In a past life, the red thread had already bound our feet; now this tiger shall be our matchmaker.' Hearing this, I untied the tiger and let it go. But the tiger, wounded by my arrow, fled. Over the years, it cultivated itself in the mountains and became a spirit, specializing in deluding and harming people. I have heard that in recent years, several groups of scripture seekers have passed by, all claiming to be Tang Sanzang from the Great Tang. That tiger spirit must have killed the real Tang Sanzang, taken his travel permit, transformed into the pilgrim monk, and now sits in the palace deceiving Your Majesty! Your Majesty, the one sitting on that embroidered stool is the very tiger spirit that carried the princess thirteen years ago, not the true scripture seeker!"
Now, the king was an indecisive and foolish man, unable with his mortal eyes to recognize the demon. He took the demon's lies as truth and asked: "Worthy son-in-law, how do you know this monk is the tiger spirit that carried the princess?"
The demon replied: "Your Majesty, your subject lives in the mountains, eating tiger meat and wearing tiger skins. I deal with tigers daily—how could I not recognize one?"
The king said: "Since you recognize him, make him reveal his true form."
The monster said: "Give me half a cup of clear water, and I will make him show his original shape."
The king ordered water to be brought and handed to the son-in-law. The demon took the water, stood before Tang Sanzang, used a "black-eye immobilization spell," chanted a mantra, sprayed the water onto the elder, and roared: "Change!"
The elder's true form was hidden in the hall, and he truly transformed into a striped tiger. The king and his ministers all looked upon the beast. The tiger had: a round head with a white forehead, a spotted body with lightning-like eyes. Its four legs were straight and powerful; its twenty claws were hooked and sharp. Its saw-like teeth filled its mouth, and its pointed ears met its brows. Fierce and majestic, it looked like a great cat, wild and mighty as a young ox. Its stiff whiskers stuck out like silver needles, and its rough tongue emitted foul breath. Indeed, it was a fierce striped tiger, its imposing gusts of wind shaking the precious hall.
The king was terrified out of his wits, and the officials scattered in fear. Several bold military officers, leading soldiers, rushed forward and hacked at the tiger with all manner of weapons. Had it not been for the elder's destined survival, even twenty monks would have been chopped into mincemeat. Fortunately, the Ding, Jia, Jiedi, Gongcao, and other protective deities were in midair, secretly protecting him, so the weapons of the soldiers could not harm him. The officials made a great commotion until nightfall, when they finally captured the tiger alive, bound it with iron chains, locked it in an iron cage, and placed it in the court chamber.
The king issued a decree for the Guanglu Monastery to prepare a grand feast to thank the son-in-law for saving him—otherwise, he would have been nearly killed by the "tiger spirit." That evening, after the officials had withdrawn from court, the demon entered the Silver Peace Hall and selected eighteen palace maidens to play music, sing, dance, and pour wine for his amusement. The monster sat alone in the seat of honor, surrounded by beautiful maidens, thoroughly enjoying himself.
By the second watch of the night, the demon was drunk and could no longer contain himself. He leaped up with a great laugh, revealed his original form, and suddenly gave in to his murderous impulse. Spreading his winnowing-basket-sized hands, he grabbed a maiden who was playing the lute and, with a crack, bit off her head. The remaining seventeen maidens fled in terror, scattering and hiding. Look at the scene: the palace maidens were terrified, the beauties were panic-stricken. The palace maidens trembled like lotus flowers battered by the rain; the beauties fled in panic like peonies dancing in the wind. They smashed their lutes to save their lives, injured themselves on their zithers in their escape. Leaving the hall, they could not tell north from south; fleeing the palace, they cared not for east or west. They bruised their jade-like faces and broke their delicate features. Every one of them ran for their lives, each seeking to escape with their wretched existence.
After fleeing, the maidens dared not cry out loudly; it was deep in the night, and they dared not disturb the king. So they hid under low walls and eaves, shivering in terror—but we will leave them for now.
Meanwhile, the monster sat in the hall, drinking on his own. With each cup, he would pull over a corpse and gnaw on it, blood dripping. As he reveled inside, word spread outside: "Tang Sanzang is a tiger spirit!" The rumor spread far and wide, reaching the Golden Pavilion Posthouse.
At that time, the posthouse was empty, and only the white horse was at the trough, eating hay. This white horse was originally the Little Dragon King of the Western Sea. For violating heavenly laws, he had been deprived of his horns and scales and transformed into a white horse to carry Tang Sanzang to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. Hearing that Tang Sanzang was a tiger spirit, he thought to himself: "My master is clearly a good man. He must have been transformed into a tiger spirit by a demon, who has harmed my master! What is to be done? What is to be done! The elder brother has been gone for so long, and there is no news from Bajie or Sha Monk!"
He waited until the second watch, when all was quiet, then leaped up and said: "If I do not save my master today, all the merit of this scripture-seeking journey will be lost! Lost!" Unable to contain himself, he broke his reins, shook off his saddle, and sprang up with a bound, revealing his original form—the little dragon. Mounting a black cloud, he flew straight up to the ninefold heaven to observe. There is a poem to prove it: Sanzang came west to pay homage to the World-Honored One, but on the way, he encountered fierce demonic miasma. Tonight, transformed into a tiger, he could hardly escape his doom; the white horse lowered his reins to save his master.
The Little Dragon King, hovering in midair, saw the Silver Peace Hall ablaze with lights—eight large lanterns held eight candles. Descending his cloud, he looked closely and saw the monster sitting alone, forcing the maidens to drink wine and even eating human flesh. The little dragon laughed and said: "This vile fiend is useless! He has exposed himself and revealed his true form. Eating people will get him nowhere! But I do not know where my master is now; I have encountered this fiend first. Let me toy with him first. If I can succeed, I will capture him and then save my master."
What a good dragon king! He shook himself and transformed into a palace maiden, truly delicate in form and charming in appearance. He walked swiftly into the hall, bowed to the monster, and said: "Son-in-law, I beg you not to harm my life. Let me pour wine for you."
The monster said: "Pour the wine."
The little dragon took the wine pot and poured into the monster's cup, making the wine rise three or five fen above the rim without spilling a drop—this was the little dragon's "water-pressing method." The monster, not recognizing the trick, was pleased and said: "You have such skill?"
The little dragon said: "I can pour it even higher."
The monster said: "Pour more! Pour more!"
The little dragon raised the pot and kept pouring; the wine rose higher and higher, forming a shape like a thirteen-story pagoda, pointed and full, without a single drop spilling. The monster put his mouth to the cup, drank it down, then pulled over a corpse and took a bite. He asked: "Can you sing?"
The little dragon said: "I know a little." He then sang a short song to a tune and offered the monster another cup of wine.
The monster asked: "Can you dance?"
The little dragon said: "I know a little, but it would not look good dancing empty-handed."
The monster opened his robe, unclasped the precious blade at his waist, drew it from its scabbard, and handed it to the little dragon. Taking the blade, the little dragon was cautious. Before the feast, he began to flourish the blade in a display of swordplay—up three times, down four times, left five times, right six times.
The monster's eyes were dazzled. Suddenly, the little dragon abandoned the fancy movements and raised the blade to strike the demon. What a monster! He dodged sideways, flustered, and grabbed a "Man Tang Hong" pillar to block the precious blade. This Man Tang Hong was made of wrought iron, weighing fully eighty or ninety catties including its handle.
The two fought their way out of the Silver Peace Hall. The little dragon revealed his true form, mounted a cloud, and battled the demon in midair. This fierce night fight was truly intense! Look at them: one was a monster born at Bowl Mountain; the other was a true dragon punished by the Western Sea. One emitted a brilliant light like a spray of white lightning; the other gave off a sharp aura like a burst of red clouds. One was like a white-tusked old elephant walking among men; the other was like a golden-clawed wildcat flying down from the heavens. One was a jade pillar supporting the sky; the other was a golden beam bridging the sea. The silver dragon danced; the yellow fiend tumbled. The precious blade in hand was never idle; the Man Tang Hong flew back and forth without rest.
They fought for eight or nine rounds amidst the clouds. The little dragon gradually grew weary, his sinews slackening, while the old demon remained strong and vigorous. Unable to withstand the assault, the little dragon flew up and swung his blade at the demon. But the demon had the skill to catch the blade—with one hand, he seized the precious blade; with the other, he threw the Man Tang Hong. The little dragon could not dodge in time, and his hind leg was struck. Hurriedly pressing down his cloud, he was saved by the Imperial River, diving into the water to flee for his life. The demon pursued but could not find him, so he returned to the Silver Peace Hall with the precious blade and the Man Tang Hong, resuming his drinking and sleeping—but we will leave him for now.
Meanwhile, the little dragon hid at the bottom of the river for half an hour. Hearing no further commotion, he gritted his teeth, endured the pain in his leg, leaped up, mounted a black cloud, and returned straight to the posthouse. He transformed back into the white horse and lay down under the trough. Pitiful creature! He was drenched all over, and there was a wound on his leg. His plight at this moment was truly: The Will-Horse and Mind-Ape were both scattered; the Metal Elder and Wood Mother were all withered. The Yellow Matron was wounded and separated; how could the path of righteousness be achieved?
Let us set aside the elder's tribulation and the little dragon's defeat for now. Let us speak of Zhu Bajie. After abandoning Sha Monk, he had burrowed into a thicket of grass and made himself a comfortable "pig's nest," sleeping soundly until midnight. When he awoke, he did not know where he was. Rubbing his eyes and gathering his wits, he pricked up his ears—the mountains were silent, with no dogs barking, and the wilderness heard no roosters crowing. He looked at the stars and judged it to be about the third watch. He thought to himself: "I want to go back and save Sha Monk, but truly, a single thread does not make a line, and one hand cannot clap... Enough! Enough! I will go into the city first, see the master, and ask the king to select some brave soldiers. Tomorrow, I will go and rescue Sha Monk."
The fool hastily mounted a cloud and flew straight back to the city, soon arriving at the posthouse. It was deep in the night, the moonlight was bright, and all was quiet. He searched the corridors but could not find the master. He only saw the white horse lying to one side, soaked through, with a bruise on its hind leg as large as a plate. Bajie was startled and said: "What bad luck! This horse has not walked, so why is it drenched in sweat and its leg injured? I fear some villain has kidnapped the master and beaten the horse!"
The white horse recognized Bajie and suddenly spoke: "Elder brother!" The fool was so frightened he fell over. He scrambled up and tried to run, but the horse stretched out its head and bit his monk's robe, saying: "Brother, do not be afraid of me."
Trembling, Bajie asked: "Brother, how is it that you can speak today? If you speak, it must mean something terrible has happened!"
The little dragon said: "Do you know that the master is in trouble?"
Bajie said: "I do not know."
The little dragon said: "Of course you do not! You and Sha Monk showed off your skills before the king, thinking to capture the demon and claim merit. But you did not expect the demon to be so powerful that you could not defeat him. Even if one of you had come back to report, there is no news at all. That demon transformed into a handsome scholar, entered the palace, acknowledged kinship with the king, and transformed the master into a striped tiger! Now the master is captured by the officials, locked in an iron cage in the court chamber. When I heard this, my heart ached as if cut by a knife. You have been gone these two days, and I feared the master's life was in danger at any moment, so I transformed back into my dragon form to save him. But when I reached the palace, I could not find the master. Instead, I encountered the demon outside the Silver Peace Hall. I transformed into a palace maiden to deceive him. He ordered me to dance with a blade, and I took the chance to strike him twice, but he dodged both times. He raised his Man Tang Hong and defeated me. I then flew at him with the blade, but he caught it and threw the Man Tang Hong, striking my hind leg. I had no choice but to dive into the Imperial River to escape. The bruise on my leg is from that blow."
Bajie, hearing this, said: "Is this true?"
The little dragon said: "Would I lie to you?"
Bajie said: "What is to be done! What is to be done! Can you still stand?"
The little dragon said: "Even if I could stand, what then?"
Bajie said: "If you can stand, then quickly swim back to the Western Sea! I will carry the luggage back to Gao Village and become a live-in son-in-law again!"
Hearing this, the little dragon bit his monk's robe and would not let go. Unable to hold back his tears, he said: "Elder brother! Do not be lazy and give up!"
Bajie said: "If I do not give up, what else can I do? Brother Sha is captured, and I cannot defeat that demon. If I do not dissolve the group now, what am I waiting for?"
The little dragon was silent for a long while, then said, tears falling again: "Elder brother, do not speak of dissolving the group. To save the master, you must go and invite one person."
Bajie asked: "Who should I invite?"
The little dragon said: "Hurry, mount a cloud and return to Flower-Fruit Mountain. Invite the elder brother, Sun the Pilgrim! He has great powers to subdue demons and will surely be able to save the master and avenge our defeat."
Bajie said: "Brother, can we not invite someone else? I am on bad terms with that monkey. Back at White Tiger Ridge, he killed Lady White Bone, and he blamed me for urging the master to recite the tight-fillet spell. I was only joking at the time, but I never expected the old monk to actually recite it and drive him away. He must hate me and will never come. If I say the wrong thing, his funeral staff is heavy. If he strikes me a few times without regard for life or death, will I survive?"
The little dragon said: "He will not strike you! He is a benevolent and righteous monkey king. When you see him, do not first tell him that the master is in trouble. Instead, say, 'The master misses you,' and trick him into coming. Once he arrives and sees the master's plight, he will surely become enraged, fight with the demon, and certainly capture him and save the master."
Bajie said: "Very well, very well. You are so devoted. If I do not go, it will make me seem unfaithful. When I go, if the Pilgrim is willing to come, I will return with him. If he does not come, do not count on me, and I will not return either."
The little dragon said: "Go, go! He will surely come."
The fool packed up his rake, adjusted his monk's robe, leaped up, mounted a cloud, and headed straight east. This time, it was also the elder's destiny not to die. The fool encountered a favorable wind, and he spread out his two large ears like sails, quickly crossing the Eastern Sea. When he pressed down his cloud, the sun had already risen. He entered the mountain and looked for the path.
As he walked, he suddenly heard voices. Bajie looked carefully and saw the Pilgrim gathering a host of monkeys in a mountain hollow. The Pilgrim was sitting on a rocky cliff, and before him were over twelve hundred monkeys, lined up, shouting: "Long live the Great Sage! Long live the Great Sage!"
Bajie said to himself: "How comfortable! No wonder he refused to be a monk and insisted on coming home! So many benefits! Such a large estate, and so many little monkeys serving him! If Old Pig had such a mountain, I would not be a monk either. Now that I am here, what should I do? I must see him."
The fool was a little afraid of the Pilgrim and did not dare to meet him openly. So he slunk along the grassy cliff, squeezing into the crowd of over twelve hundred monkeys, and began kowtowing along with them.
But the Great Sage Sun, sitting high above with sharp eyes, saw everything clearly. He asked: "Who is that in the crowd kowtowing so disorderly? An outsider! Where are you from? Bring him up!"
No sooner had he spoken than the little monkeys, like a swarm of bees, pushed Bajie forward and pressed him to the ground. The Pilgrim said: "Where are you from, you outsider?"
Bajie lowered his head and said: "I dare not. Since the Great Sage asks, I am not an outsider. I am an old acquaintance, an old acquaintance."
The Pilgrim said: "All the monkeys under me, the Great Sage, look the same. You have a strange, ugly appearance and look coarse and clumsy. You must be a demon from elsewhere! If you have come to pledge allegiance to me, first present a name card and report your name, so I can decide whether to keep you as a follower. If I do not keep you, how dare you come here and kowtow so wildly?"
Bajie lowered his head, pouted, and said: "Shameless! Putting on such airs! I have been your sworn brother for years, and you do not recognize me, calling me an outsider!"
The Pilgrim smiled and said: "Raise your head and let me see."
The fool thrust out his snout and said: "Look! If you do not recognize me, you should at least recognize my snout!"
The Pilgrim could not help but laugh and said: "Zhu Bajie."
Hearing his name called, the fool immediately sprang up and said: "That is me! That is me! I am Zhu Bajie!" He thought to himself: "Since he recognizes me, we can talk."
The Pilgrim said: "Are you not following Tang Sanzang to fetch scriptures? What are you doing here? Have you offended the master and been dismissed? If you have a letter of dismissal, show it to me."
Bajie said: "I have not offended him, nor has he given me a letter of dismissal, nor has he driven me away."
The Pilgrim said: "Since there is no letter of dismissal and you were not driven away, why have you come to me?"
Bajie said: "The master misses you and sent me to invite you."
The Pilgrim said: "He would not invite me, nor does he miss me. That day, he swore an oath to heaven and wrote a letter of dismissal with his own hand. How could he miss me and send you all this way to invite me? I will certainly not go."
Bajie quickly lied: "He truly misses you! He truly misses you!"
The Pilgrim asked: "How does he miss me?"
Bajie said: "The master was riding along the road and called out, 'Disciple.' I did not hear him, and Sha Monk pretended to be deaf. Then the master thought of you, saying that we are useless, and that you are clever and quick-witted, always answering when called and giving ten replies for every question. Because he misses you, he specially sent me to invite you. I beg you to come, so as not to disappoint the master's hope, and also not to waste the trouble of my long journey."
Hearing this, the Pilgrim leaped down from the cliff, reached out, and took Bajie by the hand, saying: "Worthy brother, you have come from afar; you must be tired. First, have some fun with me before you go."
Bajie said: "Brother, the road is long, and I fear the master will be anxious. I will not stay for fun."
The Pilgrim said: "Since you have come, at least take a look at my mountain scenery before you go."
The fool did not dare to refuse firmly, so he followed him.
Hand in hand, with the little demons following behind, they climbed to the highest peak of Flower-Fruit Mountain. Since the Great Sage's return, the mountain had been restored to its former glory in just a few days. Look at it: green as carved jade, towering high as if touching the clouds. All around, tigers crouched and dragons coiled; on all sides, monkeys cried and cranes called. In the morning, clouds sealed the mountaintop; in the evening, the sun hung among the trees. Flowing streams babbled like jade pendants; mountain springs dripped like jade zithers. Before the mountain were cliffs and steep precipices; behind the mountain were lush flowers and trees. Above, it connected to the Jade Maiden's Washbasin; below, it received the waters of the Celestial River. The universe gathered its beauty here, surpassing Penglai; clarity and turbidity nurtured a true cave dwelling. Even the finest painter could not capture it with brush; the immortals' heavenly skill could not depict it. Exquisite and strange rocks, rocks exquisite and strange; the exquisite rocks adorned the mountain peaks. Sunlight stirred a thousand purple rays; auspicious clouds shook ten thousand red clouds. A cave heaven and blessed land existed in the mortal world; the whole mountain was covered in new trees and new flowers.
Bajie could not stop gazing, filled with joy, and said: "Brother, what a wonderful place! Truly the finest mountain under heaven!"
The Pilgrim said: "Worthy brother, how do you like living here