Chapter 71: The Pilgrim Defeats the Demon with a False Name; Guanyin Appears and Subdues the Demon King

It is said that the Great King Sai Tai Sui had tightly bolted both front and rear gates, searching for Sun Wukong. The hunt continued until dusk, yet no trace of him was found. The demon king sat in the Skinning Pavilion and summoned all his minions to issue orders. Every gate was to be guarded by men carrying bells and shouting passwords, beating drums and clappers. Bows were strung, arrows nocked, swords and sabers drawn from their sheaths, and the guards took turns keeping watch through the night.

But the Great Sage Sun had long since transformed into a clumsy house fly and was clinging to the doorframe. Seeing that the front gate was too heavily guarded, he fluttered his wings and flew to the entrance of the rear palace. There he saw the Golden Saintly Consort slumped over a table, weeping softly. Wukong flew inside and landed quietly on her disheveled hair bun, listening to her cries. After a while, the consort suddenly sobbed aloud:

"My lord! You and I: In a past life we burned incense that was broken, In this life we suffer this savage demon king. The phoenix has been parted for three years—when shall we meet? The mandarin ducks are separated, causing grief on both sides. The elder monk who was sent only now brought news, But the joyful tidings were shattered, and one life was lost. All because of those golden bells I cannot understand; My longing for you is wilder than before."

When Wukong heard this, he quickly flew behind her ear and whispered softly, "Saintly Consort, do not be afraid. I am still the holy monk Sun , the elder sent by your king. I did not lose my life. It is only my fault for being too impatient. When I stole the golden bells from your dressing table while you and the demon king were drinking, I slipped out of the front pavilion. I could not resist opening them to have a look. I did not expect that pulling out the cotton stuffed in the bell's mouth would cause it to ring, and smoke, fire, and yellow sand burst forth. I panicked and dropped the bells. I reverted to my true form and tried to fight my way out with my iron staff, but I could not break through. Afraid of being caught, I turned into a fly and clung to the door hinge, hiding until now. That demon king's defenses are even tighter now; he refuses to open the gates. Use the pretense of husband and wife to coax him into coming to sleep, and I will take the chance to escape and think of another way to save you."

When the consort heard this, her hair nearly stood on end in terror. Her heart pounded wildly, and tears streamed down her face as she asked, "Are you now a man or a ghost?"

Wukong said, "I am neither man nor ghost. Right now I have turned into a fly and am here. Do not be afraid. Go quickly and invite the demon king to come."

The consort did not believe him. She wept softly and said, "Do not frighten me."

Wukong said, "How would I dare to frighten you? If you do not believe me, open your hand. I will fly into your palm so you can see for yourself."

The consort truly opened her left hand. Wukong gently flew over and landed in her palm. His appearance was like: A black bean stuck to the heart of a lotus bud, A wandering bee resting on a peony flower; A grape falling into the center of an embroidered ball, A dark speck thick upon a lily branch.

The Golden Saintly Consort held up her palm and whispered, "Holy monk."

Wukong buzzed in reply, "I am the holy monk transformed."

Only then did the consort believe him. She asked quietly, "If I go to invite the demon king, what will you do?"

Wukong said, "The ancients said, ' Wine can ruin a lifetime's work ,' and also, ' Wine can dissolve ten thousand sorrows .' The uses of wine are many. Use drinking as your excuse. First, call in one of your trusted maidservants and point her out to me. I will take her form and stand by to serve, so I can seize my opportunity."

The consort did as he instructed. She called out, "Where is Chun Jiao ?"

From behind the screen emerged a jade-faced vixen . She knelt and said, "Consort, what is your command?"

The consort said, "Go and have someone light gauze lanterns and burn incense. Support me as I go to the front pavilion to invite the Great King to rest."

Chun Jiao turned and went to the front, summoning seven or eight deer and fox spirits. They carried two pairs of lanterns and two pairs of incense burners, arranging themselves on either side. As the consort rose, Wukong had already flown away. He spread his wings, flew to the top of the jade-faced vixen's head, plucked out a strand of his hair, blew on it with his immortal breath, and cried, "Change!" It turned into a sleepworm . He gently let it fall onto Chun Jiao's face. This sleepworm was specially adept at crawling into nostrils, and once it crawled in, the person would grow drowsy. Chun Jiao indeed felt so sleepy she could not stand. She quickly found a place to lie down and fell into a deep, snoring sleep.

Wukong jumped down, shook himself, and transformed into the exact likeness of Chun Jiao. He then stood by the screen alongside the other demons, and no one noticed anything amiss.

Now, as the Golden Saintly Consort walked toward the front pavilion, the lesser demons saw her and quickly reported to Sai Tai Sui: "Great King, the consort is coming."

The demon king hurried out of the Skinning Pavilion to greet her. The consort said, "Great King, the fire has been extinguished, and the thief has fled. The night is deep, and I have come especially to invite you to rest."

The demon king was overjoyed. "Consort, you have troubled yourself. That thief just now was Sun Wukong. He defeated my vanguard, killed my junior officers, and disguised himself to sneak in and deceive us. We searched so thoroughly, yet he vanished without a trace. My heart is still uneasy."

The consort said, "That fellow has surely fled by now. Great King, do not worry. First, take your rest."

Seeing that the consort had come to invite him personally, the demon king could not refuse. He merely ordered his minions to be careful with fire and guard against thieves, then followed the consort into the rear palace. Wukong, in his transformed guise as Chun Jiao, followed the maidservants inside. The consort said, "Quickly prepare wine to relieve the Great King's fatigue."

The demon king laughed. "Right! Right! Bring wine quickly. I will drink with the consort to calm our nerves."

The false Chun Jiao joined the other demons in setting out fruits, arranging meat dishes, and laying the table. The consort raised her cup, and the demon king returned the toast. They exchanged cups and drank. The false Chun Jiao stood by with the wine pot and said, "This is the first time the Great King and the Consort have drunk a cross-cup toast . You should each drain your cups to seek double happiness ." So saying, she refilled their cups, and they both drank again.

The false Chun Jiao added, "The Great King and the Consort rarely have such joy. Let the maids who can sing sing, and those who can dance dance!" No sooner had she spoken than a chorus of songs arose. Some demons sang, others danced. The two drank a great deal more. The consort ordered the singing and dancing to stop, and the maids withdrew to the other side of the screen. Only the false Chun Jiao remained to serve the wine. The consort and the demon king then spoke only of the private matters between husband and wife. The consort deliberately feigned tenderness and affection, coaxing the demon king until his whole body went limp. But alas, he was not fated to touch the consort. Truly, it was like "a cat biting a bladder—all joy for nothing!"

After chatting and laughing for a while, the consort asked, "Great King, the precious treasure was not damaged, was it?"

The demon king said, "This treasure was forged from the primal chaos itself. How could it be damaged? It is just that the thief pulled out the cotton stuffed in the bell's mouth, and the fire burned through the leopard-skin wrapping."

The consort asked, "Then how are you keeping it?"

The demon king said, "I do not need to put it away. I wear it at my waist."

When the false Chun Jiao heard this, she quickly plucked a handful of hairs from her body and chewed them up. She stealthily approached the demon king and placed the chewed hairs on his body. She blew three puffs of immortal breath and silently cried, "Change!" The chewed hairs instantly turned into lice, fleas, and bedbugs that burrowed into the demon king's clothing, biting his skin viciously.

The demon king was driven mad by the itching. He reached into his clothes and scratched, pinching out several lice. He held them up to the lamp to look. When the consort saw this, she said deliberately, "Great King, your underclothes must not have been washed for a long time, and so these creatures have bred."

The demon king said in embarrassment, "I have never had these things before. It is only tonight that I am so disgraced."

The consort laughed. "Great King, how is this a disgrace? As the saying goes, 'Even the emperor's body has three imperial lice.' Why not take off your clothes and let me help you catch them?"

The demon king truly untied his belt and began to remove his clothes. The false Chun Jiao watched closely. She saw that every layer of the demon king's clothing was alive with fleas jumping, every piece crawling with bedbugs, and lice as thick as ants leaving their nest. When he stripped down to the third layer, revealing his skin, even the golden bells were covered with insects.

The false Chun Jiao said, "Great King, give me the bells. Let me help you catch the lice on them too."

The demon king, both ashamed and flustered, did not recognize the false from the real. He handed the three golden bells to the false Chun Jiao. The false Chun Jiao took them in her hands and fiddled with them for a moment. Seeing that the demon king was bowing his head to shake out his clothes, she quickly hid the real golden bells in her bosom. She plucked out a single hair and transformed it into three false golden bells. She held them up to the lamp as if inspecting them, then deliberately twisted her body, gathering all the lice and bedbugs back onto herself. She then handed the false golden bells to the demon king.

The demon king took them, utterly unable to tell the real from the fake. He held the false bells in both hands and presented them to the consort. "This time, you must keep them safe. Be careful, unlike last time."

The consort took them, gently opened her clothing chest, and locked the false golden bells inside. She then drank a few more cups of wine with the demon king and ordered the maids, "Make the bed and spread the covers. The Great King and I will rest now."

The demon king said hastily, "No such luck! No such luck! I dare not accompany the consort. I will take a palace maid and go to sleep in the western palace. Let the consort rest by herself." So saying, they each went to their own chambers to sleep. We shall leave them there for now.

Now, after the false Chun Jiao had succeeded in her scheme, she hid the real golden bells at her waist, reverted to her true form, shook herself to retrieve the sleepworm, and walked straight ahead. At that moment, the clappers and bells rang out in unison. It was already the third watch. Wukong made a hand seal and recited a spell, using the art of invisibility. He walked to the palace gate. Seeing that it was tightly locked, he took out his Golden-Banded Staff, pointed it at the gate, and used a spell to unlock it. The gate swung open silently. He stepped out of the palace, stood still, and shouted loudly, "Sai Tai Sui! Return the Golden Saintly Consort to me at once!"

He shouted two or three times, startling all the demons. The lesser demons quickly lit lanterns to see what was happening. Seeing that the front gate was open, they hurriedly locked it again and ran inside to report, "Great King! Someone outside the gate is calling your name and demanding the Golden Saintly Consort!"

A maidservant quietly passed the message to the rear palace. "Do not speak loudly. The Great King has just fallen asleep."

Wukong shouted again outside the gate. The lesser demons dared not disturb the demon king, and so the commotion lasted until dawn. Wukong could no longer contain himself. He raised his iron staff and began to pound on the gate. The terrified demons rushed to brace the gate with their bodies while others ran to deliver the news.

The demon king woke from his sleep and heard the chaos outside. He put on his clothes, walked out of his tent, and demanded, "What is all this noise?"

A maidservant knelt and said, "Master, someone has been cursing outside the cave for half the night. Now he is pounding on the gate."

The demon king walked out of the palace. The messenger demon kowtowed and said, "The man outside is demanding the Golden Saintly Consort. If we say half a word of refusal, he speaks the most foul language. Seeing that you did not come out at dawn, he began to smash the gate."

The demon king said, "Do not open the gate yet. Go and ask him where he is from and what his name is."

The lesser demon ran to the gate and called out, "Who is pounding on the gate?"

Wukong said, "I am the Maternal Grandfather invited from the Purple-Gold Kingdom. I have come to escort the Saintly Consort back to her country!"

The lesser demon hurried back to report. The demon king went to the rear palace to question the consort. The consort had just risen and had not yet washed or combed her hair. Seeing the demon king arrive, she quickly went to greet him. Before the demon king could even ask his question, another lesser demon came to report, "That Maternal Grandfather has broken down the gate!"

The demon king laughed and asked, "Consort, how many generals are there in your court?"

The consort said, "The court has forty-eight garrisons of troops, and over a thousand good generals. The marshals and commanders-in-chief at the borders are beyond counting."

The demon king said, "Is there any among them with the surname 'Wai' (Outer)?"

The consort said, "In the palace, I only attend to assisting the ruler and instructing the consorts and concubines. I am not clear on matters outside and cannot remember names."

The demon king said, "This fellow who has come calls himself 'Maternal Grandfather.' I have searched through the Hundred Family Surnames and have not found the surname 'Wai.' You are clever and come from a noble family. In the palace, you must have read many books. Do you remember which book has this surname?"

The consort thought for a moment. "Only the Thousand Character Classic has a line, 'Outside, receive the teacher's instruction.' It must come from there."

The demon king was delighted. "Right! Right! That must be it!" So saying, he took his leave of the consort, went to the Skinning Pavilion, put on his armor, and assembled his demon troops. He opened the great gate and strode out. He held a battle-axe with a patterned blade and roared, "Which one is the 'Maternal Grandfather' from the Purple-Gold Kingdom?"

Wukong gripped his Golden-Banded Staff in his right hand and pointed at the demon king with his left. "Nephew, what do you want with me?"

The demon king flew into a rage at the sight of him. "You creature! Your face is like a monkey's, your snout like an ape's. Seven parts ghost, and you dare to bully people!"

Wukong laughed. "You blind, insolent fiend who dares to oppress a ruler! Think of it: five hundred years ago, when I wreaked havoc in Heaven, every celestial I met dared not call me anything less than 'Old Man.' For you to call me 'Maternal Grandfather' is hardly an insult!"

The demon king roared, "Speak your name quickly! What abilities do you have, that you dare to come here and act so wildly?"

Wukong said, "It would have been better if you had not asked my name. But now that you have, I fear you will be too frightened to stand! Steady yourself and listen!" And he began to recite:

"My birth parents were Heaven and Earth, The essence of sun and moon formed my sacred womb. I lay in an immortal stone for countless ages, A spiritual root nurtured in a most wondrous way. In that year I was born, the three yangs brought peace; Today I return to the truth, and all things harmonize. I once gathered a host of demons and called myself their chief; I subdued many monsters who bowed to me on crimson cliffs. The Jade Emperor issued a decree, And the Great White Planet came with an imperial summons. He invited me to ascend to Heaven and take an official post, But the title of 'Protector of the Horses' brought me no joy. My first rebellion began in my mountain cave; Boldly I raised an army and stormed the celestial steps. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and his prince Fought one battle with me and were utterly routed. The Great White Planet reported again to the Heavenly Emperor, Who once more sent down an amnesty decree. He enfeoffed me as the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, And only then was I considered a pillar of talent. Then, because I disrupted the Peach Banquet, I stole the elixir while drunk and brought disaster upon myself. The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord personally reported to the throne; The Queen Mother of the West bowed at the Jasper Terrace. Knowing full well that I had defied the heavenly law, They mustered celestial troops and issued war tokens. A hundred thousand baleful stars and evil planets, Their spears and swords densely arrayed. Heaven's net and earth's snares covered the mountains; They raised their weapons for a great assembly of war. After a ferocious battle with no victory or defeat, Guanyin recommended Erlang to come. The two sides fought to decide who was superior; He had his brothers from Plum Mountain to aid him. Each displayed his heroism and used transformations; The three sages at Heaven's Gate parted the clouds. The Elderly Lord dropped his Diamond Snare, And all the gods captured me and brought me to the golden steps. Without need for a detailed confession, I was sentenced to death by dismemberment. Axe and hammer could not harm my life; Sword and saber could not wound my frame. Fire and thunderbolts were the same; There was no way to destroy my immortal body. They sent me to the Tushita Palace in the Great Pure Heaven, Where they placed me in the furnace for refining. When the appointed days were fulfilled, they opened the tripod, And I leaped out from within. Wielding this Ruyi Staff, I turned and beat my way up to the Jade Dragon Terrace. Every constellation and star hid in fear; I wreaked havoc in Heaven at my own whim. The patrol officer urgently summoned the Buddha, And Shakyamuni came to match his talents with mine. I turned somersaults in the palm of his hand, Traveling through the entire cosmos and back again. The Buddha used his foreknowledge to trick me, And had me crushed beneath a mountain at Heaven's edge. Now, five hundred years have passed; I have been freed from that small body and am up to my old tricks again. I have been appointed to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Lands. The Pilgrim Sun Wukong is well known. On the road to the West, I subdue demons and monsters. What evil spirit is not terrified of me!"

When the demon king heard him speak the name "Pilgrim Sun Wukong," he said, "So you are that reckless monkey who made havoc in Heaven! Since you have been freed to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures, you should be on your way. Why do you meddle in other people's affairs, acting as a slave for the Purple-Gold Kingdom, and come here to throw away your life?"

Wukong roared, "You insolent fiend! Your words are brainless! I received a grand invitation from the Purple-Gold Kingdom. They honor me as a father and mother, treat me as a god. My status is a thousand times higher than the king's! How dare you say I am a 'slave'! I will beat you to death, you ruler-oppressing monster! Do not run! Taste your Maternal Grandfather's staff!"

The demon king was startled. He quickly dodged and raised his battle-axe to meet the attack. The two began to fight, and a truly fierce battle ensued:

The Golden-Banded Ruyi Staff clashed against the Wind-Blade Battle-Axe. One gritted his teeth in savage fury, The other gnashed his teeth in martial might. One was the Great Sage Equal of Heaven descended to the mortal world, The other was a monstrous demon king come to earth. The two spewed clouds and mist that dimmed the Heavenly Palace; Truly, they stirred up dust and sand that obscured the constellations. Back and forth they went, with countless techniques; Over and over, golden light burst forth. Each displayed his full abilities; Each gambled with his divine powers. One wanted to take the consort back to the imperial capital; The other rejoiced in living with the queen in his mountain lair. This battle was utterly without reason, A fight to the death for the sake of a king.

The two fought for fifty rounds without either gaining the upper hand. Seeing that Wukong's abilities were superior, the demon king knew he could not win. He used his axe to block the Golden-Banded Staff and said, "Sun the Pilgrim, stop for a moment. I have not yet eaten breakfast. Let me eat first, and then I will return to settle the score with you."

Wukong knew that the demon king wanted to retrieve his golden bells. He withdrew his iron staff and said, "A true man does not pursue a cornered foe. Go! Go! Eat your fill, so you can come back and die!"

The demon king turned and rushed into the rear palace in great haste. He shouted to the Golden Saintly Consort, "Bring out the precious treasure quickly!"

The consort asked, "Why do you need the treasure?"

The demon king said, "The one who came to challenge us this morning is a disciple of the scripture-seeking monk. His name is Sun Wukong the Pilgrim, and he falsely claims to be my 'Maternal Grandfather'! I fought him until now without deciding victory or defeat. Let me take the treasure out and release some smoke and fire to burn this monkey to death!"

When the consort heard this, her heart was filled with panic. She did not want to give him the bells, for fear he would grow suspicious. But if she did give them, she was afraid they would harm Sun Wukong's life. As she hesitated, the demon king urged her again, "Bring them out quickly!"

Having no choice, the consort took the key, opened the chest, and handed the three false bells to the demon king. The demon king took them, turned, and left the cave. The consort sat in the palace, tears streaming down like rain. She wondered whether Sun Wukong would be able to escape this calamity. Neither of them knew that the bells were false.

When the demon king emerged from the gate, he immediately seized the advantage. He shouted at Wukong, "Sun the Pilgrim, do not run! Watch me shake my bells and finish you off!"

Wukong laughed. "You have bells, and so do I! If you can shake them, so can I!"

The demon king said, "What bells do you have? Bring them out and let me see!"

Wukong pinched his Golden-Banded Staff into the size of an embroidery needle and hid it in his ear. He then untied the three real golden bells from his waist and said to the demon king, "Are these not my purple-golden bells?"

When the demon king saw them, he was shocked. "Strange! Strange! How can his bells be exactly the same as mine? Even if they were cast from the same mold, there should be some scar or missing edge from the polishing. How can they be identical in every detail?" He then asked, "Where did you get those bells?"

Wukong countered, "Nephew, where did you get yours?"

The demon king was simple-minded and told the truth. "My bells were: Forged by the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord from the deep source of the Dao, Long refined in the Eight Trigram Furnace. The bells were formed and called the ultimate treasure; The Elderly Lord left them behind until this day."

Wukong laughed. "My bells also came from that time."

The demon king said, "What is the origin of your bells?"

Wukong fabricated a story. "My bells were: Refined by the Dao Ancestor in the Tushita Palace, Forged and tempered in the furnace. Two times three makes six, a cycle of precious treasures; Mine are the female, and yours are the male."

The demon king said, "Bells are treasures made from the golden elixir, not birds or beasts. How can they be divided into male and female! As long as they can produce their treasures when shaken, they are good!"

Wukong said, "Words are no proof. Only a trial will tell. You shake yours first."

The demon king truly picked up the first bell and shook it three times. No fire came out. He shook the second. No smoke appeared. He shook the third. There was not even any sand. The demon king panicked. "How strange! How strange! Have the times changed? Are these bells afraid of their wives? Seeing a female, they dare not come out?"

Wukong said, "Nephew, stop shaking. Watch mine!" The good monkey grabbed all three real bells at once and shook them together. Red fire, green smoke, and yellow sand all rolled out at once, rumbling as they burned trees and scorched mountains! The Great Sage then recited a spell and shouted toward the southeast, "Wind, come!" Truly, the wind fed the fire, and the fire borrowed the wind's might. Red flames, black smoke filled the sky; yellow sand covered the earth. Sai Tai Sui was terrified out of his wits. In the midst of the fire, he had nowhere to flee!

Just then, a great shout came from midair: "Sun Wukong! I am here!"

Wukong quickly looked up. It was Bodhisattva Guanyin. In her left hand she held a pure vase, and in her right hand a willow branch. She was sprinkling sweet dew to extinguish the fire. Wukong hastily hid the golden bells at his waist, put his palms together, knelt, and kowtowed. The Bodhisattva sprinkled a few drops of dew from her willow branch, and in an instant, the smoke and fire were completely extinguished. The yellow sand also vanished without a trace.

Wukong kowtowed and said, "I did not know that the greatly compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva was descending to the mortal world. I did not have time to avoid you. May I ask where the Bodhisattva is going?"

The Bodhisattva said, "I have come especially to subdue this demon."

Wukong asked, "What is the origin of this demon, that you trouble yourself, Bodhisattva, to come and subdue him in person?"

The Bodhisattva said, "He is the golden-haired hou that serves as my mount. Because the herdsboy was dozing and did not watch him properly, this wicked beast bit through his iron chain and escaped. In truth, he came here to help the king of the Purple-Gold Kingdom dissolve his karmic debt."

When Wukong heard this, he quickly stood up and said, "Bodhisattva, you have it backwards! He bullies the king here, forcibly occupies his queen, corrupts the moral order, and brings calamity upon the king. How can you say he is dissolving a karmic debt?"

The Bodhisattva said, "You do not know. In the days when the late king of the Purple-Gold Kingdom was on the throne, the present king was still the crown prince of the Eastern Palace and had not yet ascended the throne. When he was young, he was especially fond of hunting. Once, he led his men and horses, released his falcons and hounds, and came to the front of the Phoenix-Falling Slope. Beneath that slope were two young chicks born of the Western Buddha Mother, Mahamayuri Bodhisattva. They were resting there when the crown prince shot and wounded the male phoenix with an arrow, and the female phoenix also died with the arrow in her. After performing repentance, the Buddha Mother decreed that he should suffer the 'Separation of the Phoenix' for three years and contract a serious illness. At that time, I was riding this golden-haired hou, and we both heard the Buddha Mother's words together. Little did I expect that this wicked beast would remember it in his heart and come here to abduct the queen, helping the king dissolve this three-year karmic retribution. Now the three-year term is complete. Fortunately, you came and cured the king's illness. So I have come to subdue this demon."

Wukong said, "Bodhisattva, even if that is the case, he defiled the queen and corrupted moral order. He deserves the death penalty. Now that you have come in person, Bodhisattva, I will spare him the death penalty, but the living penalty cannot be forgiven! Let me hit him twenty times with my staff, and then you may take him away!"

The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, since you know I have come, for my sake, spare him entirely. Consider it your merit in subduing the demon. If you strike him once with your staff, he will die."

Wukong dared not disobey. He bowed and said, "Since the Bodhisattva is taking him back to the Southern Sea, do not let him descend to the mortal world again to harm people!"

The Bodhisattva then shouted, "Wicked beast! Why have you not returned to your original form? What are you waiting for!"

At that, the demon rolled over and transformed back into his original form as a golden-haired hou. He shook the fur on his body. The Bodhisattva mounted him. She then looked at the hou's neck and saw that the three golden bells were missing. She said, "Wukong, return my golden bells to me."

Wukong said, "Old Sun does not know anything about them."

The Bodhisattva scolded, "You thieving monkey! If you had not stolen these golden bells, not even ten Wukongs would have dared to approach him! Bring them out quickly!"

Wukong laughed. "I truly have not seen them."

The Bodhisattva said, "Since you have not seen them, I will recite the Tight-Fillet Spell."

Wukong panicked and quickly shouted, "Do not recite! Do not recite! The bells are here!"

Truly, "He who ties the bell must untie it." The Bodhisattva placed the golden bells around the golden-haired hou's neck, mounted him, and rose high into the air. Look at that golden-haired hou, his four feet treading on lotus flames, his whole body shimmering with golden fur. The Bodhisattva thus returned to the Southern Sea. We shall leave them there for now.

Now, the Great Sage Sun straightened his clothes, raised his Golden-Banded Staff, and charged into the Xie Zhi Cave, killing every single lesser demon within. He wiped them out completely. Then he went to the rear palace and invited the Golden Saintly Consort to return to her country. The consort kowtowed and thanked him profusely. Wukong recounted in detail the story of the Bodhisattva subduing the demon and the king's "Separation of the Phoenix" ordeal. He then found some soft grass, wove it into a grass dragon, and said to the consort, "Consort, mount this grass dragon. Close your eyes and do not be afraid. I will take you back to court to see the king."

The consort obeyed and mounted it. Wukong exercised his divine powers. She heard only the sound of wind whistling past her ears. In half an hour, they arrived at the Purple-Gold Kingdom. Wukong brought the cloud down and called out, "Consort, open your eyes now."

The queen opened her eyes and recognized the phoenix pavilions and dragon towers of the imperial palace. Her heart was filled with joy. She jumped down from the grass dragon and went up to the precious hall together with Wukong. When the king saw the queen, he hurried down from his dragon bed and reached out to take her hand to speak of his longing. But the moment he touched her, he fell to the ground with a cry, screaming, "My hand hurts! My hand hurts!"

Zhu Bajie laughed heartily. "Serves him right! He has no luck! Stung the moment he met her!"

Wukong said, "Fool, would you dare to take her hand?"

Bajie said, "If I take it, what could happen?"

Wukong said, "The consort's body has grown poisonous thorns. There is venom on her hands that st