As the tale unfolds, the six junior demons had left the Fire-Cloud Cave and were heading straight southwest. Sun the Pilgrim followed secretly behind them, calculating in his heart: "The ' Old Great King ' they are going to invite must be the Bull Demon King. In years past, I called him sworn brother, and our bond was excellent. Now that I have returned to the righteous path , he remains a fiend. Though we have not met for a long time, I still remember his appearance. It would be better for me to transform into the Bull Demon King, deceive them, and see if I can rescue my master."
Truly a Great Sage, he quietly slipped away from the six little demons, unfurled his Somersault Cloud, and flew ahead. He landed in a mountain hollow over ten miles away from the little demons. With a single shake, he transformed into the very likeness of the Bull Demon King. He then plucked a few hairs, breathed upon them with his immortal breath , and turned them into several small demons, armed with bows and arrows and leading hunting hounds, pretending to be hunting in the mountains, waiting for the six junior demons to arrive.
Before long, the six junior demons came along, chattering noisily. The moment they saw the "Bull Demon King" seated in their midst, Xinghongxian and Xianhongxing were so terrified they fell to their knees with a thud: "Great King and Grandfather! How is it that you are here!" The other four, Yunliwu , Wuliyun , Jiru Huo , and Kuai Ru Feng , were ordinary fiends who could not distinguish truth from falsehood, and they too kowtowed: "Grandfather! We were sent by the Holy Infant Great King of the Fire-Cloud Cave to invite you to eat the flesh of Tang Sanzang, which can grant a thousand more years of life!"
The Pilgrim, imitating the Bull Demon King's tone, said: "Rise, my children. First, return with me to my mansion to change clothes, and then we shall go to eat the flesh of Tang Sanzang."
The little demons hastily kowtowed: "Grandfather, please show us mercy and do not return to the mansion! The journey is too far. If the Great King blames us, we cannot bear the responsibility. Please come with us now!"
The Pilgrim laughed: "What obedient children! Very well, you lead the way, and I shall follow you."
The six junior demons immediately roused their spirits and cleared the path ahead with shouts, while the Great Sage followed behind, strolling leisurely towards the Fire-Cloud Cave.
Soon they arrived at the entrance of the Fire-Cloud Cave. Kuai Ru Feng and Jiru Huo rushed in first to report: "Great King, the Grandfather, the Old Great King, has arrived!"
The Red Boy said joyfully: "You are truly capable! You have invited my father so quickly!"
He immediately gave orders: "All chieftains, hear my command! Form ranks, beat drums and gongs, and go out to welcome the Old Great King!" The fiends in the cave quickly complied, lined up in perfect order, and greeted them outside the cave.
The Pilgrim, puffing out his chest and raising his head, deliberately shook his body, retracting the transformed hunting hawks, hounds, and little demons. He strode into the cave with large steps and sat directly in the center of the southern seat. The Red Boy quickly stepped forward, knelt before him, and bowed: "Father King, your son pays his respects to you." The Pilgrim said: "My son, no need for ceremony." The Red Boy kowtowed four times and stood respectfully to the side. The Pilgrim asked: "My child, what business has you calling me here?"
The Red Boy, bowing, said: "Your son possesses little talent. Yesterday, I captured a man, a monk from the Great Tang in the East. I have often heard people say that he is a good man who has cultivated for ten lifetimes, and that eating a piece of his flesh can grant immortality , making one like an immortal. Your son dared not eat him alone, so I specially invited you, Father King, to share the feast, so that you may live a thousand years longer."
The Pilgrim deliberately pretended to be shocked: "My child, which Tang Sanzang are you speaking of?"
The Red Boy said: "The one going to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures ."
The Pilgrim asked again: "My child, is he the master of Sun the Pilgrim?"
The Red Boy said: "Yes, exactly him!"
The Pilgrim quickly waved his hands and shook his head: "Do not provoke him! Other people may be manageable, but Sun the Pilgrim is not to be trifled with! My child, have you never crossed paths with him? That monkey has vast magical powers and is skilled in transformations. In the old days, when he wreaked havoc in Heaven, the Jade Emperor sent one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals to surround and capture him, but they could not catch him. How dare you capture his master! Quickly send Tang Sanzang back. Do not provoke that monkey. If he learns that you have eaten his master, he will not fight you. He will simply use his golden-banded staff to bore a hole in the mountainside and move the entire mountain away. Then you will have no place to live, and upon whom will I rely in my old age!"
The Red Boy said defiantly: "Father King, do not boost the spirit of others and diminish your own son's prestige! That Sun the Pilgrim and his two brothers brought Tang Sanzang to this very mountainside. I changed my appearance and captured his master. He and Zhu Bajie found my cave entrance, started claiming kinship and trying to get chummy with me. I could not stand it, so I fought a few rounds with them, and I did not see them as anything formidable. Later, Zhu Bajie sneaked up to help from the side, so I spat out my Samadhi True Fire and burned them away. Zhu Bajie even went to invite the Four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to send rain, but their rain could not extinguish my Samadhi True Fire at all. Instead, it left Sun the Pilgrim dizzy and confused. Then he sent Zhu Bajie to invite the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the Southern Sea. I transformed into Guanyin's likeness, tricked Zhu Bajie into coming back, and now have him hanging in the Ruyi Leather Bag , waiting to be steamed as a dish for the little demons! This morning, Sun the Pilgrim came to the cave entrance again to curse and challenge. I ordered the little demons to capture him, and he was so frightened he dropped his bundle and fled. I called you here, Father King, so that you could see Tang Sanzang's appearance. When he is steamed later, we shall eat him together and gain immortality."
The Pilgrim laughed and said: "My child, you only know that you can defeat him with your Samadhi Fire, but you do not know that he knows seventy-two transformations !"
The Red Boy said: "No matter how he transforms, I can recognize him. He would never dare to enter my cave!"
The Pilgrim said: "My child, even though you can recognize him, he would not transform into anything too large, like an elephant, that could not enter your cave. If he transforms into something small, you would not be able to recognize him." The Red Boy said: "No matter how small he becomes, I have four or five little demons guarding each door. How could he possibly get in!"
The Pilgrim said: "You do not understand. He can transform into a fly, a mosquito, a flea, or a bee, a butterfly, a small insect. He can even transform into my likeness. How could you possibly tell the difference?"
The Red Boy said: "Do not worry! Even if he had an iron-clad guts, he would not dare to approach my cave entrance!"
The Pilgrim said: "Since you say so, my child, you are indeed capable. Only if you can defeat him would you dare to invite me to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh. But today, I have no appetite for it."
The Red Boy asked: "Why not eat?"
The Pilgrim said: "I am old now, and your mother often advises me to do more good deeds. I thought there was no good deed to do, so I have decided to first practice vegetarianism for a few days."
The Red Boy asked: "Father King, do you observe a perpetual vegetarian fast, or do you fast on specific days each month?"
The Pilgrim said: "It is neither a perpetual fast nor a monthly fast. It is called a 'Thunder Fast,' and I only eat vegetarian four days each month."
The Red Boy asked again: "Which four days are those?"
The Pilgrim said: "'When the three spicy days meet the sixth day.' Today is the Xinyou day. Firstly, it is a day for vegetarianism, and secondly, the You day is not for entertaining guests. Let it wait until tomorrow. I will personally go and wash Tang Sanzang, steam him, and share him with you."
Hearing this, the Red Boy grew suspicious: "My father has always lived by eating human flesh, and he is now over a thousand years old. Why would he suddenly start observing a vegetarian diet? After all the evil deeds he has done in the past, how could three or four days of vegetarianism possibly offset them? These words are certainly false. Something is wrong!" He quietly withdrew to outside the second gate, called the six junior demons over, and asked: "From where did you invite the Old Great King?"
The little demons said: "We met him on the road and invited him directly."
The Red Boy said: "I wondered why you returned so quickly. So you did not go back to his mansion?"
The little demons said: "Correct, we did not go back to the mansion."
The Red Boy said: "This is bad! We have been deceived! This is not the real Old Great King!"
The little demons all knelt down and said: "Great King, he is your own father. How could you not recognize him?"
The Red Boy said: "His appearance and movements are identical, but his tone of voice is wrong. I fear this is an imposter. Do not let us suffer a loss! All of you be careful: those who use knives, draw your knives; those who use spears, sharpen your spears; those who use clubs, take your clubs; those who use ropes, fetch your ropes. Wait for me to ask him a few more questions. If he is the real Old Great King, it matters not whether he eats today, tomorrow, or even a month from now. But if his words are wrong, when you hear me shout, attack together!" The fiends all nodded in agreement.
The Red Boy returned to the cave and knelt before the Pilgrim once more. The Pilgrim said: "My child, there is no need for such formality at home. No need to kowtow. If you have something to say, just say it directly."
The Red Boy, prostrating himself on the ground, said: "My son has invited you, Father King, for two reasons: firstly, to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh, and secondly, to ask for your guidance on a matter. A few days ago, when I had nothing to do, I mounted my auspicious cloud and flew up to the heavens. By chance, I met Mr. Zhang, of the Zuyan Daoling lineage."
The Pilgrim asked: "Is that Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master?"
The Red Boy said: "Yes, exactly him!"
The Pilgrim asked again: "What did he say to you?"
The Red Boy said: "He saw that my features were well-proportioned and my stature balanced, so he asked me the year, month, day, and hour of my birth. I am young and cannot remember clearly. Mr. Zhang is an expert in fortune-telling and wanted to help me calculate my Eight Characters of Birth. Today, I invited you, Father King, to ask you about my birth date and time. If I ever meet him again, I can ask him to calculate it for me."
The Pilgrim, seated above, laughed to himself: "This fiend is truly crafty! Since I joined the Buddhist faith and began protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to fetch the scriptures, I have captured many fiends along the way, but I have never seen one with such a scheming mind. If he had asked me about household affairs or trivial matters like lacking rice or firewood, I could have made up something on the spot. But now he asks for his birth date and time. How would I know that!"
But the Great Sage was very clever. He sat steadily in the middle, completely unafraid, and instead laughed as he said: "Rise, my worthy son. I am old now, and in recent days I have had many matters to attend to and my mood has been poor. By chance, I have forgotten the day of your birth. Wait until tomorrow when I return to the mansion and ask your mother. Then you will know."
The Red Boy said: "Father King, you used to constantly speak of my birth date and time, saying that I would live a long life, as eternal as the heavens. How could you suddenly forget it today! This makes no sense! You are definitely an imposter!" He let out a great shout, and the fiends, brandishing spears and knives, thrust them at the Pilgrim from all sides. The Great Sage quickly blocked them with his golden-banded staff, reverted to his own form, and said to the Red Boy: "My worthy son, you are being unreasonable! Since when does a son strike his own father?"
The Red Boy was filled with shame and dared not raise his head. The Pilgrim transformed into a beam of golden light and flew out of the Fire-Cloud Cave. The little demons hastily reported: "Great King, Sun the Pilgrim has escaped!"
The Red Boy said: "Enough! Enough! Enough! Let him run! I have suffered a loss this time! Quickly close the gates. Do not waste words with him. Go and wash Tang Sanzang first, then steam him and eat him!"
Meanwhile, the Pilgrim, holding his golden-banded staff, was laughing heartily as he returned from the other side of the stream. Sha Wujing heard the laughter, quickly came out of the pine forest to welcome him, and asked: "Elder Brother, you have been gone so long. You return laughing so merrily. Have you rescued the master?" The Pilgrim said: "Brother, although I have not rescued the master, Old Sun has gained a great advantage!" Sha Wujing asked: "What advantage?"
The Pilgrim said: "It turns out that Zhu Bajie was tricked by that fiend, who transformed into Guanyin's likeness, and is now hanging in a leather bag. I was just thinking of a way to rescue him when that fiend sent the six junior demons to invite the 'Old Great King' to come and eat the master's flesh. I thought that the 'Old Great King' must surely be the Bull Demon King, so I transformed into his likeness, infiltrated the cave, and sat in the central seat. The Red Boy called me 'Father King,' and I answered. He kowtowed to me, and I received his obeisance. It was immensely satisfying! Is that not a great advantage?"
Sha Wujing said: "Elder Brother, you are content with such a small advantage, but I fear the master's life is in even greater danger." The Pilgrim said: "Do not worry. I am now going to invite the Bodhisattva Guanyin to come." Sha Wujing said: "Is your waist not still aching?" The Pilgrim said: "It no longer aches! The ancients said, 'When joy comes to a man, his spirit is refreshed.' You stay here and watch the luggage and the horse. I will be back as soon as I go." Sha Wujing said: "You have made an enemy of that fiend. He will surely try to harm the master. You must go and return quickly!" The Pilgrim said: "I travel fast. I will be back within the time it takes to eat a meal."
Truly a Great Sage, having spoken, he left Sha Wujing, mounted his Somersault Cloud, and flew straight towards the Southern Sea. He had been flying through the sky for less than half an hour when he caught sight of the scenery of Mount Putuo. Soon, he descended his cloud, arrived at Luojia Cliff, and walked forward with the utmost respect. He was met by the Twenty-Four Heavenly Guardians, who asked: "Great Sage, where are you going?" The Pilgrim made a bow and said: "I wish to see the Bodhisattva Guanyin." The Guardians said: "Wait a moment, and we will announce you."
After a short while, the Guizimu Guardian went to the entrance of the Tide Sound Cave and reported: "Bodhisattva, Sun Wukong has come especially to pay his respects to you." When the Bodhisattva heard this, she bade him enter. The Great Sage straightened his robes, entered the cave with reverence, knelt before the Bodhisattva, and kowtowed. The Bodhisattva asked: "Wukong, why are you not accompanying the Golden Cicada on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures? What business brings you here to see me?"
The Pilgrim said: "I report to the Bodhisattva: your disciple was protecting Tang Sanzang on the road when we came to a place called the Fire-Cloud Cave at Withered Pine Stream on Hao Mountain. There is a fiend there named the Red Boy, who styles himself the Holy Infant Great King. He captured my master. Your disciple, along with Zhu Bajie and others, found his cave entrance and fought with him. He unleashed his Samadhi Fire, and we could not defeat him or rescue the master. I hastened to the Eastern Sea and invited the Four Dragon Kings to send rain to extinguish the fire, but we were still defeated. Your disciple was even injured by the smoke and fire, and nearly lost his life."
The Bodhisattva asked: "Since he can unleash the Samadhi Fire and has such vast magical powers, why did you not come to invite me, and instead go to invite the Dragon Kings?" The Pilgrim said: "I originally intended to invite you, but your disciple was so injured by the smoke that he could not ride his cloud, so I sent Zhu Bajie to invite you." The Bodhisattva said: "Wuneng never came to me." The Pilgrim said: "Exactly! Before he could reach you, he was tricked by that fiend, who had transformed into your likeness, and was taken back. He is now hanging in a leather bag, and the fiend wants to steam him and eat him!"
When the Bodhisattva heard this, she became very angry and said: "That impudent fiend dares to transform into my likeness!" She shouted in rage, and threw her precious jade vase into the sea. The Pilgrim was so terrified that his whole body trembled. He quickly stood up and moved to the side, thinking: "The Bodhisattva has such a fierce temper! Could it be that I said something wrong and ruined her virtue, causing her to throw away her jade vase? What a pity! If I had known she did not want it, I would have asked for it!"
As he was thinking, he saw the sea in the middle churning violently. A strange creature emerged, carrying the jade vase on its back. The Pilgrim examined the creature closely. Its appearance was most peculiar:
Its origin was known as the Mud-Dweller, a lord of the watery depths who shone with unique might. Hidden from the world, it knew the nature of heaven and earth; concealed in darkness, it understood the secrets of gods and ghosts. When it withdrew its body, it had no head or tail; when it stretched its feet, it could move with the speed of flight. King Wen, when casting his hexagrams, once used its shell for divination; it often resided in the courtyard, accompanying the ancient sage Fuxi. When clouds and dragons emerged, it displayed a thousand kinds of grace; it was called the Water-Pusher, the Wave-Blower, stirring the billows. Its shell was pierced by strands of golden thread, and dotted with colorful tortoiseshell patterns. It was clothed in the patterns of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, its scattered adornments covering a robe of brilliant green. When alive, it was favored by the Dragon King for its bravery; after death, it carried the steles of the Buddha. If you wish to know this creature's name and kind, it was the evil old turtle who raised the wind and stirred the waves.
The old turtle, carrying the jade vase, crawled to the cliff's edge and nodded its head twenty-four times at the Bodhisattva, performing the ritual of twenty-four bows. The Pilgrim laughed to himself: "So this old turtle is the keeper of the jade vase. No wonder the Bodhisattva threw the vase away. She was waiting for it to be brought back."
The Bodhisattva asked: "Wukong, what are you muttering about down there?" The Pilgrim said: "I am muttering about nothing." The Bodhisattva said: "Bring the jade vase up here." The Pilgrim hurried over to take the vase, but no matter how hard he tried, it would not budge. It was like a dragonfly trying to shake a stone pillar; he could not move it even half an inch. The Pilgrim had to kneel down and say: "Bodhisattva, your disciple cannot lift it."
The Bodhisattva said: "You monkey! You are always boasting! You cannot even lift a jade vase, and yet you think you can subdue fiends and vanquish demons?" The Pilgrim said: "I do not lie to you, Bodhisattva. Ordinarily, I could lift it. Today, I cannot. It must be that I was injured by the fiend and have lost my strength." The Bodhisattva said: "Ordinarily, this is an empty vase. Just now, when I threw it into the sea, in that short time, it has filled itself with the waters of the Three Rivers, the Five Lakes, the Eight Rivers, the Four Great Rivers, and all the streams, ponds, and caves in the world. How could you have the strength to carry an entire sea? That is why you cannot lift it." The Pilgrim pressed his palms together and said: "Your disciple did not know. I have wronged the Bodhisattva."
The Bodhisattva stepped forward, gently lifted the jade vase with her right hand, and placed it on her left hand. The old turtle nodded its head and dove back into the water. The Pilgrim laughed: "So it was just a silly creature helping to watch the vase!"
The Bodhisattva sat down and said: "Wukong, the sweet dew water in my vase is different from the 'private rain' sent down by the Dragon Kings. It can extinguish that fiend's Samadhi Fire. I wish to give you the vase to take, but you cannot carry it. I wish to send the Sudhana Dragon Girl with you, but you have no good intentions and are always deceiving people. You see that my Dragon Girl is beautiful, and the jade vase is a treasure. If you were to trick her and take her away, when would I have the time to come and demand her back from you? You must leave something as a pledge."
The Pilgrim said: "How pitiful! Bodhisattva, you are too suspicious. Since I became a monk, I have long since stopped such deceptive practices. You want me to leave a pledge, but what do I have to leave? This cotton robe on my back was bestowed upon me by you, Venerable One. This tiger-skin kilt is worth very little. This golden-banded staff I must use day and night to protect myself. As for this golden fillet on my head, it is indeed made of gold, but you have used your magic to make it grow onto my head, and I cannot take it off. If you want a pledge, let this golden fillet be the pledge. Just recite the 'Loosening Fillet Spell' and take it off. Otherwise, I truly have nothing else!"
The Bodhisattva said: "You are quite carefree! I do not want your robe, your iron staff, or your golden fillet. Just pluck out one of those life-saving hairs from the back of your head and give it to me as a pledge."
The Pilgrim said: "These hairs were also given to me by you, Venerable One! If I pluck one out, the rest will be useless. What will I do if I cannot save my life then?"
The Bodhisattva scolded: "You monkey! You are unwilling to part with even a single hair, and yet you still want me to send the Sudhana Dragon Girl to go with you?"
The Pilgrim laughed and said: "Bodhisattva, do not be so suspicious! For the sake of the Buddha, please save my master!"
The Bodhisattva saw his sincerity, so she rose from her lotus throne, stepped onto an auspicious cloud, and walked towards the stone cliff. Truly:
Carefree and joyful, she descended from her lotus throne; with cloud-like steps and fragrant scent, she ascended the stone cliff. All because the holy monk had encountered disaster; she was about to subdue the fiend and bring him back to safety.
Sun the Great Sage was overjoyed. He invited the Bodhisattva Guanyin out of the Tide Sound Cave. All the Heavenly Guardians stood on Putuo Rock to see her off. The Bodhisattva said: "Wukong, cross the sea." The Pilgrim bowed and said: "Please go first, Bodhisattva." The Bodhisattva said: "You go first." The Pilgrim kowtowed and said: "Your disciple dare not display his magical powers before the Bodhisattva. If I were to mount my Somersault Cloud, I would expose my body, and I fear you would blame me for being disrespectful."
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva bade the Sudhana Dragon Girl to pluck a lotus petal from the lotus pond and place it on the water's surface beneath the stone cliff. She said to the Pilgrim: "Stand on this lotus petal, and I will ferry you across the sea." The Pilgrim looked at it and said: "Bodhisattva, this petal is light and thin. How can it bear my weight? If I fall into the water, my tiger-skin kilt will be soaked! The alum will be washed out, and what will I wear when it gets cold!"
The Bodhisattva shouted: "Step onto it and try!" The Pilgrim dared not refuse, so he steeled himself and jumped onto it. To his surprise, though the petal looked small, once he stood on it, it was three parts larger than a sea-going vessel. The Pilgrim said happily: "Bodhisattva, it can bear my weight!" The Bodhisattva said: "If it can bear you, then cross quickly!" The Pilgrim said: "There is no pole, no oar, no sail, no mast. How can I cross?" The Bodhisattva said: "You do not need those." She merely blew a breath of air, pushing the lotus petal away, and then with another strong breath, she blew the Pilgrim directly across the Bitter Sea of the Southern Ocean, landing him firmly on the opposite shore. The Pilgrim stepped onto solid ground and laughed: "This Bodhisattva truly knows how to display her magical powers! She can command me with a shout and a breath, without any effort at all!"
The Bodhisattva instructed the Heavenly Guardians to guard the immortal realm and bade the Sudhana Dragon Girl to close the cave gate. She then mounted her auspicious cloud and left Putuo Rock, calling out: "Where is Hui'an?"
Hui'an was the Second Prince of Heavenly King Li the Pagoda-Bearer, commonly known as Muzha. He was a disciple personally taught by the Bodhisattva and always followed her, styled "the Dharma-Protecting Hui'an Pilgrim." He immediately stepped forward, pressed his palms together, and bowed. The Bodhisattva said: "Hasten to Heaven and find your father the King. Borrow his set of Heavenly Dipper Blades for my use."
Hui'an asked: "How many blades does the master require?"
The Bodhisattva said: "One complete set."
Hui'an received the order, mounted his cloud, entered the Southern Heavenly Gate, and went to the Cloud Tower Palace to pay his respects to his father. When the Heavenly King saw him, he asked: "Where have you come from?"
Muzha said: "My master has been invited by Sun Wukong to subdue a fiend, and she sent me to borrow a set of Heavenly Dipper Blades from you, Father King."
The Heavenly King immediately bade Nezha to bring the thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Blades and hand them to Muzha. Muzha said to Nezha: "Brother, go back and kowtow a few extra times for me to our mother. I am in a hurry. After I deliver the blades, I will come back to pay my respects to her." Having spoken, he hastily took his leave, mounted his cloud, and returned to the Southern Sea. He presented the blades to the Bodhisattva.
The Bodhisattva took the blades, threw them into the air, and recited a spell. In an instant, the blades transformed into a thousand-petal lotus throne. The Bodhisattva jumped onto it and sat upright in the center. The Pilgrim laughed to himself: "This Bodhisattva is too frugal! She has a five-colored precious lotus throne in her lotus pond, but she is unwilling to use it. She has to borrow one from someone else."
The Bodhisattva said: "Wukong, do not speak. Follow me." The two of them, along with Hui'an, all mounted their clouds and left the seaside. The white parrot spread its wings and flew ahead, while Sun the Great Sage and Hui'an followed behind.
Before long, they saw a mountain peak. The Pilgrim said: "This is Hao Mountain. From here to the fiend's cave entrance is about four hundred miles."
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva ordered her auspicious cloud to stop. She recited the "Om" mantra on the mountain peak, and instantly, from the left and right sides of the mountain, many spirits and ghosts emerged. These were the local tutelary deities and mountain gods of this mountain. They all came to kowtow before the Bodhisattva's lotus throne. The Bodhisattva said: "Do not be alarmed. Today, I have come to capture this demon king. You are to help me clean this area thoroughly. Within three hundred miles, there must not be a single living creature. Send all the small animals in the mountains and the small insects in the caves to the mountain peak for safekeeping." The deities acknowledged the order and withdrew. After a short time, they returned to report that it was done. The Bodhisattva said: "Since it is clean, all of you return to your own shrines."
She then turned her jade vase upside down, and with a great rushing sound, water poured out, its noise like thunder. This water was truly formidable:
It flooded over the mountain peaks, crashing through stone cliffs. Flooding over the mountain peaks, it was like the force of the sea; crashing through stone cliffs, it was like a vast ocean. Black mist filled the sky, all from the water's vapor; vast waves cast their shadows upon the sun, shimmering with a cold light. Jade waves surged against every cliff, and golden lotuses grew across the entire sea. The Bodhisattva greatly displayed her demon-subduing magic; from her sleeve, she produced the Dingshen Meditation Tool. It transformed into a scene like the Luojia Immortal Realm, truly resembling the Southern Sea itself. Tender caltrops and delicate udumbara flowers emerged; fragrant grasses unfurled, and fresh pattra leaves appeared. A few stalks of purple bamboo, where parrots rested; several clusters of green pines, where partridges chattered. Ten thousand layers of billowing waves stretched across the four fields; one could only hear the wind howling and the water covering the sky.
Seeing this, Sun the Great Sage secretly praised: "Truly a compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva! If I had such power, I would just pour the vase over the mountain. Regardless of what birds, beasts, or insects were there, they would all be swept away!"
The Bodhisattva said: "Wukong, extend your hand." The Pilgrim quickly gathered up his left sleeve and extended his left hand. The Bodhisattva plucked a willow twig, dipped it in the sweet dew, and wrote the character "Delusion" on his palm. She instructed him: "Clench your fist tightly. Go and fight with that fiend. You are only permitted to lose, not to win. Lure him to where I am, and I will have a way to capture him."
The Pilgrim received the order, mounted his cloud, and returned to the entrance of the Fire-Cloud Cave. With one hand clenched into a fist and the other holding his golden-banded staff, he shouted loudly: "Demon, open the door!" The little demons hurried in to report: "Sun the Pilgrim is back!" The Red Boy said: "Close the gate tightly! Pay him no heed!" The Pilgrim shouted: "Good son! You have driven your father out and still will not open the door!" The little demons reported again: "Sun the Pilgrim is cursing you!" The Red Boy still said: "Pay him no heed!"
After the Pilgrim had called out twice without the door opening, he became enraged. He raised his golden-banded staff and smashed a hole through the main gate. The little demons, terrified, stumbled back into the cave, saying: "Sun the Pilgrim has broken down the door!" After hearing several reports and learning that the front gate was broken, the Red Boy quickly leaped out of the cave, brandishing his long spear, and cursed: "You monkey have no sense of propriety! I let you get away with a small advantage, and you are still not satisfied? You dare to bully me! Breaking down my door—what crime do you deserve?" The Pilgrim said: "My child, you drove your father out of the door. What crime do you deserve?"
The Red Boy, both ashamed and furious, thrust his long spear at the Pilgrim's chest. The Pilgrim raised his golden-banded staff to block it. After four or five rounds of fighting, the Pilgrim, still clenching his fist and dragging his staff, pretended to be defeated and fled. The Red Boy stood before the mountain and said: "I am going back to wash Tang Sanzang and steam him to eat!" The Pilgrim said: "Good son, the heavens are watching you! If you have the courage, come and chase me!"
The Red Boy grew even angrier. He let out a great shout and gave chase, thrusting his spear again. The Pilgrim fought another few rounds with him, then fled again. The Red Boy cursed: "Monkey, before you could fight me for twenty or thirty rounds. Now, why do you run after just one bout?" The Pilgrim laughed: "