Desire and passion share a common root; with desire and passion, all things follow their natural course. Monks within the Buddhist gate , countless in their cultivation, cut off desire and forget passion—that is true meditation. One must focus the mind and strengthen resolve, remaining as unstained as the moon hanging in a clear sky. Let not a single misstep hinder your progress; when your cultivation is complete and your merit fulfilled, you shall become a great enlightened immortal.
So it was that the master and his three disciples , having broken free from the entanglements of desire and passion, escaped the pass of worldly attachments . Mounting the horse, they continued their journey westward. Many days passed until they found themselves at the turn of late summer into early autumn. A cool, refreshing air seeped into their very bones. The scene before them was thus: a sudden downpour washed away the lingering heat; a single leaf falling from the wutong tree startled the world with the news of autumn. Fireflies flitted over the sandy paths at dusk; crickets chirped beneath the bright moonlight. Yellow mallows bloomed, their petals glistening with dew; red smartweed spread across the sandy shores. Willow leaves fell first, withered and scattered; the winter cicada sang in tune with the season.
As Sanzang pressed forward, he suddenly beheld a towering mountain whose peaks pierced the blue sky, seemingly brushing against the stars and blocking out the sun. Fear gripped the elder’s heart, and he called out to Wukong, “Look at that mountain ahead—it is extraordinarily high. I wonder if there is any path to cross it?”
Wukong laughed and replied, “Master, what are you saying! As the old saying goes, ‘No mountain is so high that a path cannot be found, and no river is so deep that a boat cannot cross it.’ How could there be no road? Press on with confidence!”
Hearing this, the elder’s face broke into a smile. He cracked his whip and urged the horse straight up the steep slope.
They had not traveled more than a few miles when they saw an old man: his hair was disheveled, white strands floating in the breeze; his beard was sparse, silver whiskers swaying. Around his neck hung a string of Buddhist prayer beads , and in his hand he leaned on a dragon-headed staff . From a distance, he stood on the hillside and shouted, “Elder heading west, rein in your horse and tighten the reins! There is a band of demons on this mountain who have nearly devoured all the people of the world. Go no further!”
At these words, Sanzang’s face turned ashen with terror. First, his horse stumbled on the uneven ground; second, he lost his balance in the saddle. With a thud, he tumbled from the horse, unable to rise, lying in the grass and groaning.
Wukong rushed forward to help him up, saying, “Fear not! Fear not! I am here!”
The elder said, “Did you hear what that old man on the hillside said? He claimed there is a band of demons on this mountain who have devoured all the people of the world. Who dares to go and ask him the truth of the matter?”
Wukong replied, “Sit and wait. I will go question him.”
Sanzang said, “With your ugly face and rough speech, you might offend him and fail to get a straight answer.”
Wukong laughed and said, “I will change into a more handsome form to question him.”
Sanzang said, “Show me the transformation.”
The Great Sage, truly remarkable, made a hand seal and shook his body. In an instant, he transformed into a neat and clean little monk. His features were delicate—finely arched brows, bright eyes, a round face, and a well-proportioned head. Every movement exuded refinement, and when he spoke, no coarse words escaped his lips. He smoothed his brocade monastic robe , strode over to Tang Sanzang, and said, “Master, how do I look?”
Sanzang was overjoyed and said, “Well done!”
Bajie remarked, “How could it not be good! It puts all of us to shame. Even if I, Old Pig , practiced for two or three years, I could never become so handsome!”
The Great Sage, leaving his master and fellow disciples behind, walked straight up to the old man. Bowing respectfully, he said, “Elder, this humble monk pays his respects to you.”
The old man, seeing how handsome and young he was, reluctantly returned the bow. Patting Wukong’s head, he grinned and asked, “Little monk, where do you come from?”
Wukong replied, “We come from the Great Tang in the East, journeying specifically to the Western Paradise to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Just as we arrived here, we heard you speak of demons. My master is timid and easily frightened, so he sent me to inquire: what kind of fiend is it that dares to block the road and harm people? Please tell me in detail, and I will drive it away.”
The old man laughed and said, “You are a young little monk, inexperienced and reckless in your speech. That fiend possesses immense power—how can you simply drive it away!”
Wukong smiled and said, “From your words, it sounds like you are protecting it. You must be related to it by blood, or at least neighbors or friends. Otherwise, why would you bolster its reputation and praise its might, refusing to plainly reveal its origins?”
The old man nodded and chuckled, “You monk certainly have a sharp tongue! I suppose you have followed your master on pilgrimages and picked up a few spells here and there—enough to drive away ghosts and subdue demons for common folk, but you have never seen a truly fearsome fiend!”
Wukong said, “How fearsome is it?”
The old man replied, “If that fiend sends a letter to the Spirit Mountain, all five hundred Arhats will come out to welcome it. If it sends a note to the Heavenly Palace, every one of the eleven constellations will hold it in esteem. The Four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas are its friends, and the Eight Immortals often gather with it. The Ten Kings of the Underworld call it brother, and the local Earth Gods and City Gods treat it as an honored guest.”
Upon hearing this, the Great Sage could not help but burst into loud laughter. Reaching out, he grabbed the old man and said, “Say no more! Say no more! That fiend may call my younger self ‘brother,’ but that is nothing impressive. If it knew that I, this little monk, had come, it would pack up and flee overnight!”
The old man said, “You little monk, talking nonsense! So disrespectful! Which immortal is your junior?”
Wukong laughed and said, “To tell you the truth: this humble monk’s hometown is the Water Curtain Cave on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit in the Land of Aolai. My surname is Sun , and my name is Wukong. In years past, I too was a demon and accomplished great deeds. Once, while drinking with a crowd of demon brothers, I had a few too many cups and fell asleep. In my dream, I saw two men come to drag me to the Underworld. In a fit of rage, I used my Golden-Banded Staff to wound the ghostly messengers, terrified the King of Hell, and nearly overturned the Senluo Hall . The terrified judge in charge of the registers brought out paper, and the Ten Kings of the Underworld signed and sealed a document, begging me to stop and willingly becoming my juniors.”
The old man heard this and said, “Amituofo! You monk talk so big that I fear you will never grow tall.”
Wukong said, “Elder, I am tall enough as I am.”
The old man asked, “How old are you?”
Wukong said, “Take a guess.”
The old man said, “Perhaps seven or eight years old.”
Wukong laughed and said, “I am ten thousand times seven or eight years old! If I show you my true form, do not be frightened.”
The old man said, “What other form could you have?”
Wukong said, “To be honest, this little monk has seventy-two forms .”
The old man did not understand and kept pressing him. Wukong then wiped his face and instantly revealed his true form: bared fangs and a fierce grin, cheeks flushed red, a tiger-skin skirt tied around his waist, and the Golden-Banded Staff in his hand. He stood beneath a rocky cliff, looking exactly like the Thunder God.
The old man was so terrified that his face turned deathly pale. His legs gave way, and he could not stand; with a thud, he fell to the ground. He scrambled up, only to stumble and fall again.
The Great Sage stepped forward and said, “Elder, do not panic. We may look fierce, but our hearts are kind. Fear not! Fear not! Thank you for your kind warning about the demons. Now, please tell me exactly how many fiends there are, and I will thank you properly.”
The old man was so frightened he could not speak. He pretended to be deaf and refused to answer a single word.
Seeing that the old man would not speak, Wukong turned and went back to the hillside.
The elder asked, “Wukong, you are back? What did you find out?”
Wukong laughed and said, “Nothing to worry about! Nothing to worry about! It is inevitable that there are a few fiends along the road to the Western Paradise. It is just that the people here are timid and make a big deal out of them. Rest assured, I am here!”
The elder said, “Did you not ask what mountain this is, what cave it is, how many fiends there are, and which path leads to the Thunder Monastery?”
Bajie said, “Master, do not blame me for saying this. When it comes to changing forms, playing clever tricks, and teasing people, all three or five of us together are no match for Senior Brother. But when it comes to being honest, even if Senior Brother gathered a whole troop of himself, he would not be as good as me.”
Tang Sanzang said, “True! True! You are indeed honest.”
Bajie said, “He did not know how to ask a proper question—just a few vague words, and then he came back all awkward and embarrassed. Let me go and get the real truth.”
Tang Sanzang said, “Wuneng, be careful.”
The Fool, truly something to behold, tucked his rake into his belt, straightened his black monastic robe, and with a mincing gait, ran up the hillside. Shouting to the old man, he said, “Elder, I bow to you.”
The old man, seeing that Wukong had left, had just managed to prop himself up with his staff and was tremblingly trying to leave. When he saw Bajie, he became even more frightened. “Heavens! What evil dream did I have last night, to run into this band of villains! The first monk was ugly enough but still had some human features. This one has a mouth like a wooden mallet, ears like palm-leaf fans, a face like iron, and bristles on his neck—he has not a trace of human appearance!”
Bajie laughed and said, “You, elder, really do not hold back! You are quite good at judging people. How do you see me? Ugly as I am, I grow on you. Wait a little longer, and I will become handsome.”
The old man, seeing that he could speak human language, finally asked, “Where do you come from?”
Bajie said, “I am the second disciple of Tang Sanzang, my monastic name Wuneng Bajie. The monk who came to ask earlier was my senior brother, Wukong. My master blamed him for offending you and not getting the full truth, so he specially sent me to ask for guidance. What mountain is this? What cave? What fiends are in the cave? Which is the great road heading west? Please point it out.”
The old man said, “Can you speak honestly?”
Bajie said, “In my whole life, I have never told a lie.”
The old man said, “Do not be like that other monk, all glib tongue and tricky talk.”
Bajie said, “I am not like him.”
The old man leaned on his staff and said to Bajie, “This mountain is called the Eight-Hundred-Mile Lion-Camel Range. In its midst is the Lion-Camel Cave, and in the cave dwell three demon lords.”
Bajie spat and said, “You old man are too suspicious! Just three fiends, and you went to all the trouble of sending a special report!”
The old man said, “You are not afraid?”
Bajie said, “To tell you the truth: these three fiends—my senior brother can kill one with a single blow of his staff, I can kill one with a single rake, and I also have a junior brother who can kill one with his demon-subduing staff. If all three are killed, my master can pass through. What is so difficult about that!”
The old man laughed and said, “You monk do not know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth! Those three demon lords possess immense power! The little fiends under their command number five thousand on the southern ridge, five thousand on the northern ridge, ten thousand at the eastern pass, ten thousand at the western pass, four or five thousand on patrol, another ten thousand guarding the gates, and countless more tending the fires and chopping wood. In total, there are forty-seven or forty-eight thousand. All of them have names and tokens, and they are stationed here specifically to devour people.”
Upon hearing this, the Fool was so terrified that he trembled and ran back. When he reached Tang Sanzang, he did not answer a word. He put down his rake and squatted down, defecating.
Seeing this, Wukong shouted, “You do not answer, so what are you squatting there for?”
Bajie said, “I was so scared I pissed myself! Do not say anything else now—let us each flee for our lives!”
Wukong said, “You fool! I was not afraid when I went to ask, but you come back scared out of your wits!”
The elder asked, “What exactly is the situation?”
Bajie said, “That old man said: this mountain is called the Eight-Hundred-Mile Lion-Camel Range. In the middle is the Lion-Camel Cave. In the cave are three old fiends and forty-eight thousand little fiends, all stationed here specifically to devour people. As soon as we get near the mountain, we will become their food. There is no way through!”
Tang Sanzang was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He said, “Wukong, what can we do?”
Wukong laughed and said, “Master, rest assured. It is nothing. There are probably a few fiends here, but the people here are timid and exaggerate their numbers and power, scaring themselves. I am here!”
Bajie said, “Senior Brother, what are you saying! I am different from you: what I asked was the truth, absolutely no falsehood. The whole mountain and valley are filled with fiends. How can we go forward?”
Wukong laughed and said, “Fool, do not panic! Do not mention a mountain and valley full of fiends—if I, Old Sun, use my staff all the way, I can finish them all off by midnight!”
Bajie said, “Shameless! Shameless! Do not brag! It would take seven or eight days just to call their names. How can you finish them all at once?”
Wukong said, “How would you do it?”
Bajie said, “Even if you grabbed them and tied them up, or used immobilization spells, it would not be that fast.”
Wukong laughed and said, “No need to grab or tie. I can stretch this staff at both ends to make it four hundred feet long; shake it to make it eighty feet thick. Roll it once on the southern side of the mountain and crush five thousand; roll it once on the northern side and crush another five thousand; roll it from east to west, and forty or fifty thousand will be turned into meat paste!”
Bajie said, “Senior Brother, if you fight like that, rolling it out like noodles, you might finish by the second watch.”
Sha Seng laughed from the side and said, “Master, with Senior Brother’s great abilities, what is there to fear! Quickly mount the horse and go.”
Tang Sanzang, seeing them so animated, had no choice but to relax his mind. He mounted the horse and continued on.
As they were walking, the old man who had brought the report suddenly vanished.
Sha Seng said, “He must have been a fiend, deliberately disguised as an old man to scare us.”
Wukong said, “Do not rush. Let me go and see.”
The Great Sage, truly remarkable, leaped to the top of the high mountain. He looked all around but saw no trace. When he turned around, he saw a flash of multicolored clouds in midair. He immediately mounted his cloud and gave chase. It turned out to be the Great White Planet. Wukong went up to him, grabbed him, and called him by his childhood name: “Li Changgeng! Li Changgeng! You lazy fellow! If you had something to say, you could have said it to my face. Why did you disguise yourself as a forest old man to deceive me!”
The Planet quickly bowed and said, “Great Sage, I am late in bringing the report. Do not blame me! Do not blame me! That demon lord is indeed powerful and influential. You can only get through by using transformations and clever tricks. If you are the least bit careless, it will truly be difficult to pass.”
Wukong thanked him and said, “Thank you! Thank you! This place is indeed hard to pass. Please trouble the Star to return to the Heavenly Court and tell the Jade Emperor to lend me some heavenly soldiers to help.”
The Planet said, “There are! There are! There are! If you just send a message, even if you ask for a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, they will be available.”
The Great Sage bade farewell to the Planet and descended on his cloud. He saw Sanzang and said, “That old man just now was actually the Great White Planet, who came to bring us a report.”
The elder put his palms together and said, “Disciple, hurry and catch up with him. Ask if there is another path we can take to go around.”
Wukong said, “We cannot go around. This mountain alone is eight hundred miles across. I do not know how many more miles surround it. How can we go around?”
Tang Sanzang could not help but shed tears and said, “Disciple, with such difficulty, how can we go to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures!”
Wukong said, “Do not cry! Do not cry! Once you start crying, you become a coward! His report must contain some exaggeration, meant to make us more cautious. As the saying goes, ‘Those who pass on messages often exaggerate.’ You dismount and sit for a while.”
Bajie said, “What are we going to discuss again?”
Wukong said, “Nothing to discuss. You stay here and protect Master properly. Sha Seng, look after the luggage and the horse. I will go up the mountain first to scout around, see how many fiends there are front and back, catch one to get the full story, make it write a guarantee and a list of all the old and young, order it to close the cave gate and not block the road, and then invite Master to pass through peacefully. That will show my true skill!”
Sha Seng only said, “Be careful! Be careful!”
Wukong laughed and said, “No need for warnings. On this trip, even if it is the Eastern Sea, I can open a path; even if it is a mountain wrapped in iron or silver, I can break through the gate!”
The Great Sage, with a whistle, leaped onto his somersault cloud and rose to the high peak. Gripping vines and grasping creepers, he looked around the mountain, but it was completely silent—not a single human figure in sight. He suddenly spoke out loud, “I was wrong! I was wrong! I should not have let that Great White Planet go. He was just scaring me! What fiends are there here? Even if fiends came out to patrol, they should be carrying spears and clubs, drilling in martial arts. How is it that there is not a single one...”
As he was pondering this to himself, he suddenly heard from behind the mountain the sounds of “ding-ding-dang-dang” and “pi-pi-po-po” of clappers and bells. Turning his head quickly, he saw a little fiend, carrying on its shoulder a flag with the character “Order” written on it, a bell hanging from its waist, and a clapper in its hand, walking from north to south. Looking closely at this little fiend, it was a full twelve feet tall. The Pilgrim chuckled to himself, “He must be a messenger, probably delivering official documents or sending a notice. Let me go and listen to what he says.”
The Great Sage, making a hand seal and reciting a spell, shook his body and transformed into a fly. He lightly flew onto the little fiend’s hat and pricked up his ears to listen. He saw the little fiend walk onto the main road, beating his clapper and ringing his bell, all the while muttering to himself, “All of us mountain patrollers must be careful to watch out for Sun Xingzhe. He can turn into a fly!”
Hearing this, the Pilgrim was secretly startled. “Did this fellow see me? If he did not, how does he know my name and that I can turn into a fly?” In truth, the little fiend had not seen him at all. It was just that the demon lord had somehow given this order, a pure rumor, and the little fiend was just repeating it mindlessly. Not knowing the inside story, the Pilgrim suspected he had been discovered. He was about to pull out his Golden-Banded Staff and strike him down, but he stopped and thought to himself, “I remember when Bajie asked the Great White Planet, the Planet said there were three old fiends and forty-seven or forty-eight thousand little fiends. A few tens of thousands more of these little fiends would not matter, but I do not know how great the abilities of those three old demons are. Let me question him first before acting.”
What a Great Sage! Can you guess how he questioned him? He jumped down from the little fiend’s hat and landed on a treetop. After the little fiend had taken a few steps, he quickly turned around and used his magic to transform into another little fiend. He was exactly like the first one—beating a clapper, ringing a bell, carrying a flag, and wearing the same clothes. He was only about three or five inches taller. Muttering the same words, he caught up and shouted, “Hey, traveler! Wait for me!”
The little fiend turned around and asked, “Where did you come from?”
The Pilgrim laughed and said, “Good brother! You do not even recognize your own family?”
The little fiend said, “There is no one like you in my family.”
The Pilgrim said, “How could there not be? Take another look.”
The little fiend said, “Your face is unfamiliar. I do not recognize you! I do not recognize you!”
The Pilgrim said, “That is only natural. I am a fire-tender. You rarely see me.”
The little fiend shook his head and said, “No! No! None of the brothers who tend the fire in our cave have such a pointed mouth.”
The Pilgrim thought to himself, “It seems my mouth has become a bit too sharp.” He lowered his head, covered his mouth with his hand, and rubbed it, saying, “My mouth is not pointed.” And indeed, as he spoke, his mouth became unpointed.
The little fiend said, “Your mouth was clearly pointed just now. How did it become unpointed after a rub? That is very suspicious! I really cannot recognize you! You are not one of us! Do not try to get friendly! Suspicious, very suspicious! Our king’s family rules are the strictest. Those who tend the fire only tend the fire; those who patrol the mountain only patrol the mountain. How could there be someone who both tends the fire and patrols the mountain?”
The Pilgrim was quick-witted and followed the thread of the conversation. “You do not know. The king saw that I was good at tending the fire and promoted me to patrol the mountain.”
The little fiend said, “Alright. We mountain patrollers have forty in a squad, and ten squads make four hundred. Each person’s age, appearance, and name are different. The king, afraid that we might mix up the squads and make roll call difficult, issued each person a token as a mark. Do you have a token?”
The Pilgrim had just imitated the little fiend’s appearance, but he had not seen his token, so he did not have one. The Great Sage, not admitting that he did not have one, instead said with full confidence, “How could I not have a token? I just received a new one. Show me yours.”
That little fiend, not knowing the trick, immediately lifted his clothes and pulled out a gold-plated token from close to his body. The token was tied with a green velvet cord. He pulled it out and showed it to the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim saw that the back of the token read “Might That Overawes All Demons” in gold letters, and the front had three real characters: “Little Drill Wind.” He secretly thought, “No need to ask! As long as they are mountain patrollers, their names all end with the word ‘Wind.’”
The Pilgrim said, “First, put your clothes back in order and walk a few steps ahead. I will take out my token and show you.” After saying this, he turned around, reached into his bosom, and plucked a single hair from the tip of his tail. He twisted it and shouted, “Change!” The hair immediately turned into a gold-plated token, also tied with a green velvet cord, with three real characters written on it: “General Drill Wind.” He took it out and showed it to the little fiend.
The little fiend was greatly astonished. “We are all called ‘Little Drill Wind.’ How come you are called ‘General Drill Wind’!”
The Pilgrim was thorough in his actions and spoke with logic. He explained, “You truly do not know. The king saw that I was good at tending the fire and promoted me to be the wind-patrol chief. He also issued a new token called ‘General Wind Patrol,’ ordering me to oversee you forty brothers in this squad.”
Upon hearing this, that little fiend quickly bowed and said, “Sir! Sir! You have just been promoted, so I really did not recognize you. I offended you with my words just now. Please do not take offense!”
The Pilgrim returned the bow and laughed, “I do not blame you, but there is one thing: you must pay the ‘meeting fee.’ Each person should give five taels of silver.”
The little fiend said, “Sir, do not be impatient. Wait until I reach the southern ridge and meet up with the rest of our squad. We will give it to you together.”
The Pilgrim said, “In that case, I will go with you.”
That little fiend truly walked ahead, and the Great Sage followed behind.
They had not gone more than a few miles when they suddenly saw a brush-peak. Why was it called a brush-peak? Because a single peak rose from the mountain, about forty or fifty feet high, like a brush inserted into a brush stand. Hence the name. The Pilgrim, when he reached it, curled his tail, leaped up, and sat on the tip of the peak. He shouted, “Drill Wind! All of you, come here!”
This Little Drill Wind bowed from below and said, “Sir, I am here waiting upon you.”
The Pilgrim said, “Do you know why the king sent me out?”
The little fiend said, “I do not know.”
The Pilgrim said, “The king wants to eat Tang Sanzang, but he is afraid of Sun Xingzhe’s vast supernatural powers. He fears that Sun Xingzhe might change his appearance, disguise himself as Little Drill Wind, and come here to scout and gather information. Therefore, he promoted me to be General Drill Wind to check whether any of you in this squad are impostors.”
Little Drill Wind said repeatedly, “Sir, we are all real.”
The Pilgrim said, “Since you are real, do you know what abilities the king has?”
Little Drill Wind said, “I know.”
The Pilgrim said, “If you know, then speak quickly and tell me. If what you say matches what I know, then you are real. If there is even the slightest difference, then you are an impostor, and I will certainly take you to see the king for punishment.”
That Little Drill Wind, seeing him sitting high up, putting on airs and ordering him about, had no choice but to tell the truth. “Our king’s supernatural powers are vast and his abilities are supreme. He once swallowed a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers in one gulp.”
Hearing this, the Pilgrim snorted and said, “You are an impostor!”
Little Drill Wind panicked. “Sir, I am real. Why do you say I am an impostor?”
The Pilgrim said, “If you were real, how could you talk such nonsense! How big can the king’s body be, that he could swallow a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers in one gulp?”
Little Drill Wind said, “Sir, you did not know. Our king can transform: when he grows large, he can prop up the heavens; when he shrinks, he becomes like a mustard seed. That year, the Queen Mother of the West held the Peach Banquet and invited all the immortals, but did not send our king an invitation. Our king wanted to contend for the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers to subdue him. Our king changed his form, opened his mouth wide like a city gate, and took a mighty gulp. The heavenly soldiers were so terrified that they dared not engage in battle and quickly closed the Southern Heavenly Gate. That is why it is said he swallowed a hundred thousand soldiers in one gulp.”
The Pilgrim secretly laughed to himself. “Speaking of such fearsome deeds, Old Sun has also done them.” He then asked, “What abilities does the Second Great King have?”
Little Drill Wind said, “The Second Great King is thirty feet tall, with reclining-silkworm eyebrows and phoenix eyes. His voice is like a woman’s, his teeth are like carrying poles, and his nose is like a flood dragon. When he fights with someone, he only needs to wrap his nose around them, and even if they had an iron back and bronze body, their soul would scatter!”
The Pilgrim thought to himself, “A fiend who wraps people with his nose is easy to deal with.” He then asked, “How many abilities does the Third Great King have?”
Little Drill Wind said, “Our Third Great King is no ordinary creature of the mortal world. His name is the Cloud-Spanning Ten-Thousand-Mile Roc. When he moves, he can ride the wind across the sea, flying north and south. He also carries a treasure called the Yin-Yang Dual Qi Vase. If a person is put into that vase, they will turn into liquid within a few hours.”
Hearing this, the Pilgrim was secretly startled. “I am not afraid of the fiends, but I must be careful of that vase of his.” He then asked, “The abilities of the three great kings you have described are not bad and match what I know. But which great king wants to eat Tang Sanzang?”
Little Drill Wind said, “Sir, do you not know?”
The Pilgrim shouted, “I know much more than you do! It is precisely because I fear you do not know the full story that I was specially sent to interrogate you carefully!”
Little Drill Wind said, “Our First Great King and Second Great King have always lived in the Lion-Camel Cave on the Lion-Camel Range. The Third Great King does not live here. His original residence is four hundred miles west of here. There is a city there called the Lion-Camel Kingdom. Five hundred years ago, he devoured the king and all the civil and military officials of that city. All the men, women, and children of the city were also completely devoured by him. Thus, he seized the kingdom’s territory, and now the entire city is filled with fiends. I do not know which year he learned that the Great Tang in the East had sent a monk to the Western Paradise to fetch the scriptures. He heard that this Tang Sanzang was a good man who had cultivated for ten lifetimes, and that whoever ate a piece of his flesh would achieve immortality. However, he was afraid of the great power of Tang Sanzang’s disciple, Sun Xingzhe, and knew he could not handle him alone. So he came here and formed a brotherhood with our two great kings, uniting their hearts and wills to capture Tang Sanzang together.”
Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim was filled with fury. “This fiend is outrageously insolent! I am protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Paradise to achieve the true fruit, and he dares to scheme to devour my master!” He ground his steel teeth in hatred, drew out his Golden-Banded Staff, leaped down from the peak, and brought his staff down on the little fiend’s head. The poor little fiend was instantly crushed into a meatball!
The Pilgrim looked at it and felt a pang of regret. “Alas! He meant well, telling me all the family secrets. How could I have finished him off so quickly? Oh well, oh well! It is done!” The Great Sage, only because his master was blocked here, had no choice but to do this.