Having descended from their clouds, the three brothers, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, landed directly in the royal palace of the Black Chicken Kingdom. When the king, the crown prince, and the ministers saw them, they immediately kowtowed and offered endless thanks. The Pilgrim told the king and his court how the Bodhisattva had subdued the demon, and they were all so grateful they bowed repeatedly.
In the midst of this joyful celebration, the gatekeeper reported again, “Your Majesty, four more monks have arrived outside!” Bajie was alarmed and said, “Brother, could it be that some fiend is playing tricks, impersonating Manjushri Bodhisattva to deceive us, and has now transformed into monks to test our wits?” The Pilgrim replied, “That makes no sense!” He immediately ordered them to be brought in.
The ministers relayed the command, and the monks entered. The Pilgrim saw that they were the monks from the Precious Forest Temple, carrying the king’s Heavenly Crown , the Azure Jade Belt , the Ochre Yellow Robe , and the Carefree Boots . Delighted, the Pilgrim exclaimed, “Perfect timing! Perfect timing!” He quickly had the king approach, helped him remove his monk’s headwrap and don the Heavenly Crown, shed his coarse cloth robe for the Ochre Yellow Robe, untie his cloth sash to fasten the Azure Jade Belt, and exchange his monk’s shoes for the Carefree Boots. The crown prince then presented the White Jade Scepter to the king and invited him to ascend the throne.
As the ancient saying goes, “A court cannot be without a ruler for even a single day,” yet the king refused to sit upon the dragon throne . Weeping, he knelt on the steps and said, “I have been dead for three years, and now I am restored to life solely through your grace, Master. How could I dare to resume the throne? I beg one of you masters to become the sovereign. I am willing to take my wife and children and live as commoners outside the city walls!”
Tang Sanzang absolutely refused, his mind set only on journeying west to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Then they asked the Pilgrim, who laughed and said, “To be honest with you all, if Old Monkey wanted to be an emperor, I could have been the ruler of every kingdom under heaven. But we monks are used to a lazy, carefree life. An emperor must grow his hair long, cannot sleep at night, must rise before dawn, worries about border conflicts, and frets over famines. We could never endure such a life. You be the emperor, and I will remain a monk, continuing to cultivate my merit.”
The king, unable to refuse any longer, finally ascended the throne. Facing south, he sat upon the dragon throne, issued a decree of amnesty for the entire realm, and rewarded the monks of the Precious Forest Temple before sending them back. A great feast was then prepared for Tang Sanzang and his disciples, and a portrait of the four pilgrims was commissioned to be hung in the Golden Luan Hall for veneration.
Having helped restore order to the Black Chicken Kingdom, the pilgrims did not wish to linger. They sought to bid the king farewell and continue westward. The king, along with his three consorts, the crown prince, and his ministers, brought out national treasures, gold, silver, and silks as gifts for Tang Sanzang. But the master refused every single item, urging Wukong and the others to quickly prepare the travel permit , saddle the horse, and be on their way.
Feeling deeply indebted, the king arranged a full imperial procession. He invited Tang Sanzang to ride in the carriage, with the civil and military officials leading the way. The king himself, along with the queen and the crown prince, personally escorted the carriage out of the city. Only at the city gates did the king descend from his own dragon carriage to bid them farewell, saying, “Venerable Master, when you return from obtaining the scriptures in the Western Heaven, you must come and visit me again!” Tang Sanzang replied, “Your disciple will remember.” Wiping away his tears, the king returned to the city with his ministers.
The four pilgrims then took a rugged mountain path, their minds focused solely on reaching the Spirit Mountain. It was the season between late autumn and early winter . Frost had withered the red leaves, making the forests look sparse, while the rains had ripened the yellow millet, filling the fields with abundance. The sun warmed the plum blossoms on the mountain ridges, heralding the dawn, and the wind rustled the mountain bamboos, stirring a cold, wintry sound.
Leaving the Black Chicken Kingdom, the pilgrims traveled for over half a month, resting at inns by night and journeying by day, until they came upon another towering mountain, so high it seemed to scrape the sky and block the sun. Seated on his horse, Tang Sanzang grew anxious. He reined in his mount and called for the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim asked, “What are your instructions, Master?” Tang Sanzang said, “Look at that high mountain and rugged ridge ahead. We must be extremely cautious. There may be another demon lying in wait to harm me!” The Pilgrim laughed and replied, “Just keep moving and don’t worry. I have my ways to protect you.”
The elder tried to calm himself and spurred his horse forward. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they saw how truly perilous it was. Its peak, though not high, touched the azure sky; its depth, though not profound, was like the underworld itself. Before the mountain, one could see swirling white clouds and billowing black mists. Red plum trees and green bamboos, green cypresses and blue pines dotted the landscape. Behind the mountain stood a ten-thousand-foot platform that seemed to snatch souls, and behind that platform lay a bizarre demon’s cave . Within the cave, a dripping spring echoed with a ding-dong sound, and below the spring, a winding, twisting stream flowed. One could also see apes leaping and bounding, offering fruits; horned deer with antlers branching in all directions; and a dazed-looking deer staring at the passersby. As evening fell, tigers would emerge from their dens to roam the mountains, and at dawn, flood dragons would rise from the waters, churning the waves. When one reached the cave entrance, a loud noise would startle the birds into flight, and the beasts of the forest would scurry away in panic. The sight of these creatures filled one’s heart with a thumping dread. The blue stones seemed like a thousand pieces of jade, and a million piles of smoke were shrouded in an emerald haze.
As the pilgrims were growing fearful, they saw a red cloud rise from a hollow in the mountain, soaring high into the sky and gathering into a mass of fiery energy. The Pilgrim was greatly alarmed. He rushed forward, grabbed Tang Sanzang’s foot, and pulled him off the horse, shouting, “Brothers, stop! A demon is coming!” Bajie quickly raised his rake, and Sha Wujing grabbed his demon-quelling staff , positioning themselves to protect Tang Sanzang in their midst.
Now, let us speak of the fiend within that red cloud. Years ago, he had heard the saying, “The Tang Monk from the East, journeying to the West to seek scriptures, is the reincarnation of the Golden Cicada Elder, a good man who has cultivated for ten lifetimes. Whoever eats a piece of his flesh will attain eternal life and live as long as heaven and earth.” So he had waited on this mountain day after day, never expecting that his wait would finally end today. Hovering in mid-air, he saw the three disciples shielding Tang Sanzang on his horse, each one poised for battle. He couldn’t help but praise them, “What fine monks! I just saw a fair-skinned, plump monk on a horse, who must be the holy monk of Tang. But how is he being guarded by three such ugly monks! They are all clenching their fists, rolling up their sleeves, and brandishing weapons, looking as if they are ready for a fight. Alas! I wonder who has the sharp eyes to recognize me. This makes it very difficult to get my hands on the Tang Monk’s flesh.”
After pondering for a while, he thought, “If I try to take him by force, I won’t be able to get close. It’s better to disguise myself as a good person to deceive them; then I might succeed. If I can just confuse them, I can seize the opportunity and capture the Tang Monk. I’ll go down and have some fun with them.”
What a fiend! He dispersed the red cloud, descended from the sky, and transformed himself on the mountainside into a seven-year-old child. He was stark naked, with his hands and feet bound together by a hempen rope, hanging high from the branch of a pine tree, crying out repeatedly, “Help! Someone save me!”
The Great Sage Sun looked up and saw that the red cloud had vanished and the fiery energy was gone. He said, “Master, mount your horse and let’s be on our way.” Tang Sanzang asked, “You just said there was a demon. Why do you dare to go on now?” The Pilgrim replied, “I just saw a red cloud rise from the ground and gather into a ball of fire in the sky, which was surely a demon. Now that the red cloud has dispersed, it must have been a passing demon with no intention of harming us. Let’s go!” Bajie chuckled and said, “Brother, you sure know how to make excuses. Since when do demons just pass through?” The Pilgrim said, “You don’t understand. If a demon king from some cave is holding a feast and invites fiends from other mountains, then demons from all directions will be traveling to the banquet. They only have eating on their minds and no time to cause trouble. Those are the passing demons.”
Tang Sanzang was skeptical but mounted his horse anyway and followed the mountain path. They had not gone far when they heard a cry for help. The elder was startled and said, “Disciples, who is calling for help in this desolate mountain?” The Pilgrim stepped forward and said, “Master, just keep moving. Don’t mind whether it’s a person or a donkey calling. Even if someone is calling here, there’s no one to come to their rescue.” Tang Sanzang said, “That’s not an animal’s cry; it’s a human voice!” The Pilgrim laughed and said, “I know. Don’t meddle in other people’s business. Let’s hurry on.”
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang spurred his horse forward. After traveling less than a mile, they heard the cry again. The elder said, “Disciples, that voice is not from a demon! If a demon were calling, it would only call out once and there would be no echo. Listen—he is calling out again and again. This must be a person in distress. We must go and save him.” The Pilgrim said, “Master, please set aside your compassion for today. You can practice your kindness after we cross this mountain. This place is fraught with danger. You know the saying about spirits attaching themselves to grass and trees? Many things can become spirits after long cultivation. The worst are python spirits. After years of cultivation, they can learn a person’s nickname. If they call out from the grass or a hollow, it’s fine if you don’t answer. But if you do, your soul will be drawn out, and you will be dead by nightfall. Hurry! Hurry! As the ancients said, ‘If you can escape, thank heaven and earth.’ Don’t listen to it.”
The elder had no choice but to listen and spurred his horse forward again. The Pilgrim thought to himself, “This wretched fiend is calling out from somewhere unknown. Let me use the ‘Mao-You Star Method’ to make us miss each other, so we won’t see each other at all.” What a Great Sage! He called Sha Wujing over and said, “Lead the horse slowly. I’m going to relieve myself.” After Tang Sanzang had moved on a few steps, the Pilgrim recited a spell, using the art of shrinking the earth. He pointed his golden-banded staff backward, and in an instant, he sent his master and brothers ahead to the next mountain peak, leaving the fiend far behind. He then quickly caught up with them and continued into the mountains. But soon, Tang Sanzang heard another cry for help from behind the mountain. “Disciple,” he said, “that poor soul has no luck. He missed us. We’ve passed him by; can’t you hear him calling from the other side of the mountain?” Bajie said, “Maybe he’s still in front of us, and the wind just changed direction.” The Pilgrim said, “No matter which way the wind blows, just keep going.” They all fell silent, wishing they could cross the mountain in a single step.
Meanwhile, the fiend on the mountainside had called out three or four times without anyone coming to rescue him. He thought, “I saw the Tang Monk less than three miles away. Why hasn’t he arrived by now? Maybe he took a shortcut.” He shook himself, snapped the ropes, rose again on his red cloud, and flew into the air to survey the scene. The Great Sage Sun happened to look up and recognized the fiend. He grabbed Tang Sanzang’s foot and pulled him off the horse again, shouting, “Brothers, be careful! The demon is back!” Bajie and Sha Wujing immediately raised their weapons and once more shielded Tang Sanzang in their midst.
Hovering in mid-air, the fiend couldn’t help but praise them, “What fine monks! I saw the fair-skinned monk on his horse just a moment ago, and now they’ve hidden him again! This time, I must first take down that sharp-eyed one before I can capture the Tang Monk. Otherwise, all my efforts will be in vain, and I’ll be celebrating too soon.” He descended again and, just as before, transformed into a child hanging from a pine tree, this time less than half a mile from the pilgrims.
The Great Sage Sun looked up again, and seeing the red cloud had dispersed, he asked his master to remount and continue. Tang Sanzang asked, “You said the demon was coming just now. Why are you telling me to go again now?” The Pilgrim replied, “It’s still a passing demon. It doesn’t dare to bother us.” The elder grew angry and said, “You wretched monkey! You’re just toying with me! You say there’s no danger when there really is a demon, and you scare me when it’s peaceful, always claiming there’s a demon. You have no consistency, and you even pulled me off my horse. Now you say it’s a passing demon. What if I had been injured from the fall? How would you answer for that?” The Pilgrim said, “Master, don’t be angry. A scraped hand or foot is easy to heal. But if a demon had captured you, where would I even look for you?” This infuriated Tang Sanzang, who was about to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. Only Sha Wujing’s earnest pleas persuaded him to remount and continue.
Before Tang Sanzang could even settle into his saddle, they heard another cry: “Master, save me!” The elder looked up and saw a naked child hanging from a tree. He reined in his horse and cursed the Pilgrim, “You wretched monkey, you’ve gone too far! You have not a shred of compassion in your heart! Your mind is full of nothing but fighting and brawling! I said it was a person calling, but you insisted it was a demon! Look at that child hanging from the tree—isn’t that a person?”
The Great Sage saw his master was furious and, having now clearly seen the child’s form, he was unable to act. Fearing the recitation of the Tight-Fillet Spell, he could only lower his head and remain silent, allowing Tang Sanzang to ride up to the tree. The elder pointed his horsewhip at the child and asked, “Whose child are you? What happened to you? Why are you hanging here? Tell me, and I will save you.” Alas! The child was clearly a demon in disguise, but Tang Sanzang, with his mortal eyes, could not recognize it.
When the fiend saw Tang Sanzang addressing him, he put on an even more pitiful act. With tears in his eyes, he said, “Venerable Master, to the west of this mountain there is a place called Withered Pine Ravine, and beyond the ravine lies my village. My grandfather’s family name was Hong. Because he had amassed a great fortune, he was known as Hong the Millionaire. He passed away long ago, leaving his wealth to my father. But my father was a spendthrift, and the fortune dwindled, so people called him Hong the Hundred-Thousandaire. He befriended all sorts of heroes and lent out his gold at interest. But those ungrateful wretches swindled him and ran off, and he could never recover his principal or interest. My father swore he would never lend money again. But those who still wanted to borrow money, having no way to repay, banded together as bandits. In broad daylight, they broke into our house with swords and spears, stole all our valuables, and killed my father. Seeing that my mother was beautiful, they abducted her to be their chieftain’s wife. At that time, my mother couldn’t bear to leave me. She held me in her arms and went with the bandits, weeping. But when they reached this mountain, the bandits wanted to kill me too. Thanks to my mother’s pleas, I wasn’t killed by the sword, but they tied me up and hung me from this tree, hoping I would freeze or starve to death. As for my mother, they took her away, I know not where. I have been hanging here for three days and three nights without seeing a single soul. I don’t know what good karma I cultivated in a past life to meet you today, Venerable Master. If you take pity on me and save my life, I will be your slave for life to repay your kindness. Even if I die, I will never forget your grace.”
Tang Sanzang believed every word and told Bajie to untie the rope and bring the child down. The Fool, not recognizing the fiend, was about to step forward. But the Pilgrim could not restrain himself and shouted, “You wretched fiend! There is someone here who knows you! Stop putting on this act and telling lies! You say your family’s wealth was stolen, your father killed, and your mother abducted. Who will we give you to if we save you? What will you use to thank us? This lie is too absurd!”
The fiend was terrified when he heard this. He knew the Great Sage was not to be trifled with and made a mental note of him. But he continued to weep, saying, “Venerable Master, although my parents are dead and my wealth is gone, I still have some fields and property that weren’t stolen, and I have relatives too.” The Pilgrim asked, “What relatives do you have?” The fiend said, “My maternal grandfather lives south of the mountain. My aunt lives north of the ridge. Li the Fourth at the head of the ravine is my uncle by marriage. Hong the Third in the forest is my cousin. And I have other uncles and cousins living near the village. Venerable Master, if you save me and take me to the village, I will tell my relatives of your life-saving grace. They will sell some of my land and surely reward you handsomely.”
Hearing this, Bajie pulled the Pilgrim aside and said, “Brother, why are you interrogating such a small child! He makes sense. The bandits only stole the portable wealth. How could they take away his house and land? Even if we talk to his relatives, we couldn’t possibly eat up the value of his ten mu of land. Hurry up and save him.” The Fool, with his mind always on food, didn’t care if it was good or bad. He used his monk’s knife to cut the rope and brought the child down.
The fiend walked up to Tang Sanzang’s horse and kowtowed repeatedly. The elder, kind-hearted, said, “Child, get on my horse, and I’ll take you with us.” The fiend said, “Venerable Master, my hands and feet are numb from hanging, and my back aches. Besides, I’m a country child and don’t know how to ride a horse.” Tang Sanzang then told Bajie to carry him. The fiend glanced at Bajie and said, “Venerable Master, my skin is half frozen. I wouldn’t dare let this master carry me. He has a long snout and big ears, and the bristles on the back of his head are too stiff. They would prick me.” Tang Sanzang then told Sha Wujing to carry him. The fiend glanced at Sha Wujing and said, “Venerable Master, when the bandits ransacked my home, they all had painted faces and fake beards, brandishing knives and clubs. I was terrified. Seeing this master’s fierce face makes me even more afraid. I wouldn’t dare let him carry me either.” Tang Sanzang then told Sun Wukong to carry him. The Pilgrim laughed and said, “I’ll carry him! I’ll carry him!”
The fiend was secretly delighted and let the Pilgrim pick him up without any fuss. The Pilgrim carried him to the side of the road and weighed him in his hand. He was only about three pounds. The Pilgrim laughed and said, “You wretched fiend, today is your day to die! How dare you play tricks in front of Old Monkey! I recognized what you are long ago.” The fiend said, “Venerable Master, I am a child from a good family who has met with misfortune. How can I be a fiend?” The Pilgrim said, “If you were a child from a good family, how could you be so light?” The fiend said, “I have a small frame.” The Pilgrim asked, “How old are you this year?” The fiend said, “Seven years old.” The Pilgrim laughed and said, “At one pound per year, you should weigh seven pounds. How is it you don’t even weigh four?” The fiend said, “I didn’t have enough milk when I was a baby, so I grew up thin.” The Pilgrim said, “Alright, I’ll carry you. But if you need to pee, you have to tell me.”
Tang Sanzang, Bajie, and Sha Wujing walked ahead, while the Pilgrim followed behind with the child on his back, all heading westward. As a poem testifies: When virtue reaches its peak, demonic obstacles rise high; The essence of Zen is stillness, yet from stillness, fiends are born. The mind-lord, upright, walks the Middle Path, While the Wood Mother, stubborn and foolish, stumbles and strays. The Will-Horse, silent, harbors thoughts of love and desire; The Yellow Hag, wordless, is filled with worry and care. The guest-foe, triumphant, rejoices all in vain, For in the end, he will be vanquished by the righteous way.
The Great Sage Sun carried the fiend on his back, inwardly resenting Tang Sanzang for not knowing what was good for him. “Walking on such a treacherous mountain path is hard enough empty-handed, and now he makes me carry a person. Even if this thing isn’t a demon, it’s an abandoned child. Who am I supposed to hand him over to? I might as well just dash him to death.”
The fiend sensed this immediately. He used his magic, inhaling four breaths from all directions and blowing them onto the Pilgrim’s back. Suddenly, the Pilgrim felt a weight of a thousand pounds. The Pilgrim laughed and said, “My boy, are you trying to crush me with your weight-increasing spell?” Hearing this, the fiend feared the Pilgrim would harm him, so he quickly used his Corpse-Shedding Technique. His primordial spirit leaped out and stood in mid-air. The weight on the Pilgrim’s back grew even heavier. Enraged, the Pilgrim grabbed the “child,” dashed it against a rock by the roadside, and smashed it flat as a meat pie. Still fearing the fiend might cause more trouble, he tore off the limbs, threw them by the roadside, and shattered everything.
The fiend, watching clearly from mid-air, could not contain his fury. “That monkey monk has gone too far! Even if I am a demon and wanted to harm his master, I hadn’t done anything yet! How dare he smash me into such a pulp! Luckily, I was prepared and my primordial spirit escaped, or I would have died for nothing. I can’t wait any longer. If I wait any longer, he’ll be on his guard. I must seize the Tang Monk now.”
What a fiend! He raised a whirlwind in mid-air. With a loud roar, it kicked up sand and stones, terrifying to behold. This wind: A furious, howling gale, churning water and clouds with a fishy stench; Black vapors billowed, blotting out the sun. Mountain pines were uprooted, roots and all; Wild plum trees were flattened, trunks and branches. Yellow sand blinded the eyes, making travel impossible; Strange rocks blocked the path, how could the road be smooth? Rolling, swirling, the ground grew dark; All the mountain beasts and birds howled in terror.
The wind was so strong that Tang Sanzang could not stay on his horse. Bajie dared not lift his head. Sha Wujing bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. The Great Sage Sun knew the fiend was up to his tricks and gave chase. But the fiend, riding the wind, had already snatched Tang Sanzang away, vanishing without a trace, taken to some unknown place.
After a while, the wind stopped and the sun came out again. The Pilgrim rushed forward and saw the white dragon horse neighing in terror, the luggage scattered by the roadside, Bajie lying on the ground groaning under a cliff, and Sha Wujing squatting on the slope, calling for his master. The Pilgrim shouted, “Bajie!” Hearing the Pilgrim’s voice, the Fool looked up. Seeing the wind had died down, he scrambled to his feet, grabbed the Pilgrim, and said, “Brother, what a terrible wind!” Sha Wujing also came forward and said, “Brother, it was a whirlwind.” Then he asked, “Where is the master?” Bajie said, “The wind came so suddenly that we all lowered our heads to take cover. The master was still on his horse at that time.” The Pilgrim asked, “Where has the master gone now?” Sha Wujing said, “The master is as light as a reed. He must have been swept away by the wind.”
The Pilgrim said, “Brothers, let’s just disband from here!” Bajie said, “Right! Let’s break up early and go our separate ways. That would be wonderful. The road to the Western Heaven is so long and endless, when will we ever get there?” Sha Wujing was shocked by these words, and a chill ran down his spine. “Brother, what kind of talk is that! We were all sinners in our past lives. Thanks to the persuasion of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, we were initiated, given new names, and converted to Buddhism, vowing to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey west to atone for our sins. Now that we have come this far, to talk of disbanding is to betray the Bodhisattva’s kindness and ruin our own virtue. Others would laugh at us for not seeing things through!”
The Pilgrim said, “Brother, what you say is true. But the master refuses to listen to advice. I, Old Monkey, have fiery, golden eyes that can tell good from evil. That wind just now was created by the child hanging from the tree. I recognized him as a demon, but you and the master didn’t. You even made me carry him. I wanted to teach him a lesson, so he used his weight-increasing spell to crush me. After I smashed him, he used his Corpse-Shedding Technique to raise a whirlwind and kidnap the master. It’s all because the master never listens to me. That’s why I said we should disband in a moment of despair. But since you are so sincere, I am now in a dilemma. Bajie, what do you think we should do?” Bajie said, “I was just talking nonsense earlier. We really shouldn’t disband. Brother, there’s no other way. Let’s listen to Sha Wujing and go find the demon to rescue the master.” The Pilgrim’s anger turned to joy. “Brothers, since that’s the case, let’s work together. Pack up the luggage and the horse, and let’s go up the mountain to find the demon and save the master.”
The three of them climbed over vines and rocks, following the mountain stream, searching for over fifty or sixty miles without finding a trace of their master. There were no birds or beasts on the mountain, only ancient cypresses and large pine trees. The Great Sage Sun grew extremely anxious. He leaped up to the highest peak, shouted, “Change!” and transformed into a form with three heads and six arms, just like when he had wreaked havoc in Heaven. He shook his golden-banded staff, which split into three, and he began striking wildly in all directions, to the east and to the west, with a great clatter. Seeing this, Bajie said, “Sha Wujing, this is bad! Our brother can’t find the master, and he’s gone mad with rage!”
After striking for a while, the Pilgrim beat out a group of impoverished spirits—all dressed in rags, without pants or sleeves. They knelt before the mountain and cried, “Great Sage, the Mountain Gods and Local Spirits have come to pay their respects.” The Pilgrim asked, “Why are there so many Mountain Gods and Local Spirits?” The spirits kowtowed and said, “We report to the Great Sage: This mountain is called the Six-Hundred-Mile-Drill-Head Mountain. Every ten miles there is one Mountain God and one Local Spirit, making thirty of each in total. We heard yesterday that the Great Sage was coming, but we could not gather in time. We have come late and incurred your wrath. We beg the Great Sage to forgive us.”
The Pilgrim said, “I’ll let you off this time. I ask you, how many demons are there on this mountain?” The spirits replied, “Grandfather! There is only one demon! He has tormented us until we are almost bald. We have no incense or paper to offer, and we can’t even get a decent meal. We are all half-naked and starving. How could there be any other demons?” The Pilgrim asked, “Does this demon live at the front or the back of the mountain?” The spirits said, “He lives neither at the front nor the back. In the mountain there is a ravine called Withered Pine Ravine, and beside the ravine there is a cave called the Fire-Cloud Cave. The demon king in the cave has vast magical powers. He often captures us to tend his fires and guard his door, and at night he makes us carry bells and shout the watch. His junior demons also demand a regular tribute from us.” The Pilgrim asked, “You are spirits of the underworld. Where would you get money?” The spirits said, “Since we have no money to give, we have to catch mountain deer and wild game to send to the junior demons every day. If we have nothing to send, he tears down our temples and strips us of our clothes. He makes our lives a living hell! We beg the Great Sage to rid us of this fiend and save the living beings on this mountain!”
The Pilgrim asked, “Since you are under his command and often go to his cave, do you know what kind of demon he is and what his name is?” The spirits said, “Speaking of him, the Great Sage might know him. He is the son of the Bull Demon King and was raised by Rakshasi. He cultivated for three hundred years on the Flaming Mountain and mastered the Samadhi True Fire. His magical powers are immense. The Bull Demon King sent him to guard this Mountain of Horns. His childhood name is Red Boy, and his title is the Holy Infant King.”
Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim was overjoyed. He dismissed the Mountain Gods and Local Spirits, changed back to his original form, leaped down from the peak, and said to Bajie and Sha Wujing, “Brothers, rest assured. Don’t worry about the master. He will be fine. This demon is a relative of mine.” Bajie laughed and said, “Brother, don’t brag. You live in the Eastern Continent of Superior Divine Body, and he lives in the Western Continent of Cattle-Gift. You are separated by thousands of mountains and two great seas. How could he be your relative?” The Pilgrim said, “Just now, the Mountain Gods and Local Spirits told me that he is the son of the Bull Demon King, raised by Rakshasi. His name is Red Boy, and his title is the Holy Infant King. Think back to five hundred years ago, when I was wreaking havoc in Heaven. I traveled to all the famous mountains under heaven and befriended all the heroes. The Bull Demon King and I were sworn brothers, one of the Seven Brothers. All the other demon kings were tall and big, while I was small, so I called him ‘Big Brother.’ This fiend is the son of my sworn brother. By seniority, he should call me ‘Uncle.’ How would he dare to harm my master? Let’s go quickly.”
Sha Wujing laughed and said, “Brother, there’s a saying: ‘If you don’t visit for three years, even the closest relative becomes a stranger.’ You parted ways with his father five or six hundred years ago. You haven’t shared a cup of wine or sent a gift since. Why would he acknowledge you as a relative?” The Pilgrim said, “Why do you look down on people so much? There’s another saying: ‘A fallen leaf returns to its root; in this world, people are bound to meet again!’ Even if he doesn’t acknowledge the kinship, he wouldn’t dare harm the master. Even if he doesn’t invite us for a meal, he will surely return our Tang Sanzang to us, whole and unharmed.”
Having made up their minds, the three brothers led the white horse, loaded with the luggage, and followed the main path. They traveled day and night for over a hundred miles until they suddenly came upon a pine forest. In the forest was a winding mountain stream with clear, flowing water. Beside the stream was a stone bridge leading to a cave dwelling on the opposite side. The Pilgrim said, “Brothers, look at those stone cliffs over there. That must be the demon’s lair. Let’s decide who will watch the luggage and the horse, and who will come with me to subdue the demon.” Bajie said, “Brother, I can’t sit still. I’ll go with you!” The Pilgrim said, “Good! Good!” Then he said to Sha Wujing, “Hide the horse and luggage deep in the forest and keep a careful watch. Bajie and I will go into the cave to find the master.”
Sha Wujing agreed. Bajie followed the Pilgrim, each holding their weapons, and they went forward. Truly: The unrefined infant’s evil fire rages strong; The Mind-Ape and the Wood Mother must join forces to carry on. Whether this journey would bring good fortune or disaster, we shall have to wait for the next chapter to find out.