As the King of Chechi Kingdom lay on his dragon bed, tears streamed down his face like a spring, flowing unceasingly until nightfall. The Pilgrim stepped forward and said loudly, "How can you be so foolish! Right before your eyes lie the corpses of the Daoists—one is a tiger, one a deer, and the Goat Strength Immortal was an antelope. If you don't believe me, fish out their bones and see for yourself. What human has such skeletons? They were mountain beasts who had become spirits, coming here together to harm you. Only because your fortunes are still strong did they dare not strike. If you wait another two years, when your fortunes wane, they would have killed you and seized your entire kingdom! Fortunately, we arrived early, destroyed the evil, and saved you. What are you still crying for? Hurry up and give us our travel documents , and let us proceed westward!"
Hearing these words, the King finally came to his senses. All the civil and military officials also submitted their memorials: "The ones who died were indeed a white deer and a yellow tiger; what remains in the oil cauldron are also sheep bones. The holy monk's words cannot be ignored!" The King said, "Since this is so, I am deeply grateful to the holy monks. But now it is late..." He then addressed the Grand Tutor : "First, escort the holy monks to the Temple of Profound Wisdom to rest. Tomorrow at the morning court , I shall open the Eastern Pavilion and order the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a vegetarian feast to thank them." Indeed, people were sent to escort the master and disciples to the temple for the night.
The next day, at the fifth watch, the King held court, summoned all officials, and issued a decree: "Quickly post proclamations recruiting monks , and hang them at all four gates !" At the same time, he arranged a great banquet, set out his imperial carriage, and went to the Temple of Profound Wisdom to invite Tang Sanzang and his disciples to the Eastern Pavilion for the feast. This we shall not describe in detail.
As for those monks who had been rescued earlier, upon hearing of the recruitment proclamation, they joyfully entered the city to find the Great Sage Sun, wishing to return the hairs and thank him for his kindness. After Tang Sanzang had finished the feast and the King had endorsed the travel documents, the King, along with the empress, consorts, and civil and military officials, escorted them out of the court gates. There they saw the monks kneeling by the roadside, shouting, "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven ! We are the monks rescued from the sandy shore. We heard that you, Grandfather , eliminated the demons and saved us, and that the King has posted proclamations to recruit monks. We have come specifically to return your hairs and kowtow in gratitude for your heavenly grace !" The Pilgrim laughed and asked, "How many of you have come?" The monks replied, "Five hundred, not one missing!" The Pilgrim shook his body, retrieved the hairs, and said to the King, the officials, and the assembled monks and laypeople, "These monks were indeed set free by me. The carts were moved by me through two passes and along the narrow path through the ridges before I smashed them. Those two evil Daoists were also killed by me. Now that the evil is destroyed, you can see that the Chan School has its Way. From now on, you must not act recklessly or blindly believe in evil teachings. Let the three teachings be united—honor both monks and Daoists, and also cultivate talent . Only then can your kingdom be secure!" The King nodded in agreement, expressed his boundless gratitude, and escorted Tang Sanzang out of the city.
The four masters and disciples continued westward, solely to fulfill their great mission of obtaining the scriptures, striving in their cultivation to achieve the true Way. They traveled by dawn and rested by dusk, drinking when thirsty and eating when hungry. Before they knew it, spring had passed and summer had ended, and autumn had arrived once more. One day, as dusk fell, Tang Sanzang reined in his horse and said, "Disciples, where shall we stay tonight?" The Pilgrim said, "Master, as a renunciant, don't speak like a householder." Tang Sanzang asked, "What is wrong with a householder? And what is right with a renunciant?" The Pilgrim said, "A householder at this hour is sleeping on a warm bed with soft covers, holding his child in his arms, his feet propped against his wife, sleeping comfortably. How can we renunciants do that? We must travel under the stars and moon, eat in the wind and sleep by the water. We walk as long as there is a road, and only stop when there is none."
Zhu Bajie said, "Brother, you only know one side of things! The road is so difficult now, and I'm carrying such a heavy load, I really can't go any further. We must find a place to sleep and restore our energy, so that tomorrow I can continue carrying the load. Otherwise, I'll collapse from exhaustion!" The Pilgrim said, "Let's walk a bit further by the moonlight until we reach a place with people, then we'll stop." The master and disciples had no choice but to follow the Pilgrim onward.
After walking a little while longer, they heard the sound of surging waves. Zhu Bajie said, "We're done for! We've come to a dead end!" Sha Wujing said, "A river is blocking our way." Tang Sanzang asked, "How can we cross it?" Zhu Bajie said, "Let me test the depth of the water." Tang Sanzang said, "Wuneng, don't talk nonsense. How can you test the depth of water?" Zhu Bajie said, "I'll find a pebble and throw it into the water. If bubbles rise, it's shallow. If it sinks with a 'gududu' sound, it's deep." The Pilgrim said, "Go ahead and test it." The fool found a stone by the roadside and threw it into the water. They heard a 'gududu' sound as the stone sank, and bubbles rose to the surface. He said, "Deep! Deep! Deep! We can't cross!" Tang Sanzang said, "Though you know the depth, you don't know the width of the river." Zhu Bajie said, "That, I don't know."
The Pilgrim said, "Let me take a look." Truly a Great Sage, he somersaulted onto a cloud and rose into the air. Steadying his gaze, he saw the river: The vast expanse of water shimmered with the reflected moonlight, and its boundless waves seemed to float against the sky. Its spiritual currents swallowed the lofty peaks of Huashan, and its long flow connected a hundred rivers. Thousand-layered furious waves rolled, and ten-thousand-fold towering billows surged. No fishing fires could be seen along the banks, but on the sandy shores, egrets slept peacefully. It stretched out in a vast, sea-like expanse, with no end in sight as far as the eye could see.
He quickly withdrew his cloud, landed by the river, and said, "Master, it's incredibly wide! Incredibly wide! We can't cross! With my fiery golden eyes, I can see a thousand miles during the day and know good fortune from disaster. At night, I can still see three to five hundred miles. But now, I can't even see the opposite shore. How can I know how wide it is!"
Tang Sanzang was greatly alarmed. He could not speak, his voice choked with tears as he said, "Disciple, what can we do?" Sha Wujing said, "Master, don't cry. Look over there by the water's edge. Isn't that a person standing there?" The Pilgrim said, "It might be a fisherman. Let me go ask." He took up his golden-banded staff and in two or three strides reached the spot. But when he looked closely, ah! It was not a person, but a stone stele. On the stele were three characters in seal script, and below them, two lines of ten smaller characters. The three large characters read "Celestial River" (Tongtian He), and the ten small characters read "Eight hundred miles across its span; from ancient times, few men have crossed." The Pilgrim called out, "Master, come and see!" Tang Sanzang looked and, shedding tears, said, "Disciple, when I left Chang'an back then, I thought the Western Heaven would be easy to reach. I never imagined there would be so many demonic obstructions and mountains and rivers blocking the way!"
Zhu Bajie said, "Master, do you hear that? Where is that sound of drums and cymbals coming from? There must be a household holding a vegetarian feast. Let's go beg for some food and ask about the ferry. We can find a boat and cross tomorrow." Tang Sanzang, still on his horse, also heard the drums and cymbals. "That is not the music of the Daoist school," he said. "It must be Buddhists performing a ceremony. Let's go have a look."
With the Pilgrim leading the way, the four masters and disciples followed the sound. There was no proper road; the ground was uneven, high and low. They crossed a sandy beach and saw a cluster of houses, about four or five hundred of them, quite well built. They saw: Houses nestled against the mountain, paths winding by the shore and stream. Everywhere, wicker gates were closed; each bamboo courtyard was shut. On the sandy shore, sleeping egrets dreamed peacefully; beyond the willows, cuckoos' throats grew cold with their cries. No sound of short flutes, no rhythm from washing blocks. Red smartweed branches swayed in the moonlight; yellow reeds leaves wrestled with the wind. Village dogs barked at the sparse hedges along the path; an old fisherman slept in his boat at the ferry. Lamps were few, human voices were still, and the bright moon in the mid-sky hung like a mirror. Suddenly, a fragrant scent drifted on the air, carried by the west wind from across the shore.
Tang Sanzang dismounted and saw a house by the roadside. Outside the gate hung banners and streamers; inside, lamps and candles shone brightly, and incense smoke swirled. Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, this place is much better than that hollow by the river. Under someone's eaves, we can shelter from the cold dew and sleep peacefully. Don't follow me. I'll go first to the door of this benefactor and ask for lodging. If he is willing to keep me, I'll call for you. If not, don't you dare act rashly—your appearances are ugly, and I'm afraid you'll frighten people and cause trouble. Then we'll have nowhere to stay." The Pilgrim said, "Well said, Master. You go first. We'll wait here."
The elder took off his bamboo hat, bared his head, shook out his outer robe, and, dragging his staff, went to the door. Seeing it was half open, he dared not enter presumptuously and stood there for a moment. An old man came out from inside, a rosary hanging around his neck, chanting "Amituofo" under his breath, about to close the door. Tang Sanzang quickly pressed his palms together and called out loudly, "Old benefactor, this poor monk pays his respects!" The old man returned the greeting and said, "You monk, you have come too late." Tang Sanzang asked, "What do you mean by that?" The old man said, "If you had come late, there would be nothing left! If you had come earlier, my family would have fed the monks, given them a full meal, and also given them three sheng of cooked rice, a length of white cloth, and ten copper coins. Why have you come at this hour?"
Tang Sanzang bowed and said, "Old benefactor, this poor monk has not come for the alms." The old man asked, "If not for the alms, what have you come for?" Tang Sanzang said, "I am a monk dispatched by the Great Tang in the East on an imperial mission to go to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures. I have arrived here today as night falls. Hearing the sound of drums and cymbals from your house, I have come especially to beg for a night's lodging. I will leave at dawn tomorrow." The old man waved his hand and said, "Monk, as a renunciant, you shouldn't lie! From the Great Tang in the East to this place is a journey of fifty-four thousand miles. How could you have come here alone?" Tang Sanzang said, "Old benefactor, you are right. But I have three disciples who clear the mountains and build bridges across the waters to protect me. That is how I have been able to get here." The old man said, "Since you have disciples, why haven't they come along? Please, invite them in. My house has room." Tang Sanzang turned his head and called out, "Disciples, come here!"
The Pilgrim was naturally impatient, Zhu Bajie was born rough, and Sha Wujing was also boorish. When the three heard their master calling, they led the horse and carried the load, charging in like a whirlwind without any regard. When the old man saw them, he was so frightened that he fell to the ground, shouting, "Monsters have come! Monsters have come!" Tang Sanzang quickly helped him up and said, "Benefactor, don't be afraid. They are not monsters; they are my disciples." The old man said, trembling, "How can such a handsome master have such ugly disciples!" Tang Sanzang said, "Though their appearances are not good, they can subdue dragons and tigers and capture monsters and demons." The old man, half-believing and half-doubting, supported Tang Sanzang and slowly walked inside.
As for those three "fierce ones," they barged into the main hall, tied up the horse, and put down the luggage. There were several monks in the hall reciting sutras. Zhu Bajie, stretching his long snout, bellowed, "You monks, what sutras are you reciting?" The monks looked up and saw: Beholding the strangers who had come, with long snouts and big ears, stout bodies and broad backs, their voices like thunder booming. The Pilgrim and Sha Wujing were even more hideous in appearance. Among the several monks in the hall, not one was unafraid. The acolytes continued to chant sutras, but the leading monks ordered them to stop. They could no longer care for the chime stones and bells; even the Buddha statues were abandoned. Together they blew out the lamps, scattering the sudden light in a flash. They stumbled and crawled, hardly able to cross the threshold! Your head bumped into my head, like a row of overturned gourd stands. What had been a pure and serene Dharma assembly turned into a great farce.
The three brothers, seeing the monks stumbling and crawling, clapped their hands and roared with laughter. The monks became even more frightened, only caring about kowtowing and fleeing, until every last one of them had run away. Tang Sanzang, supporting the old man, walked into the hall, which was now pitch black. The three were still laughing and giggling. Tang Sanzang scolded them, "You reckless monkeys! This is too outrageous! I teach you every day. The ancients said, 'One who is good without being taught is a sage; one who becomes good after being taught is a worthy; one who does not become good even after being taught is a fool.' Your wild behavior makes you the worst kind of fools! You enter a house without knowing your place, frighten the old benefactor, scatter the chanting monks, and ruin a good deed. Aren't you heaping sin upon me?" His words silenced the three, who dared not reply.
Only then did the old man believe that they were indeed his disciples. He quickly turned around and bowed, saying, "Honored sirs, it's nothing, nothing. The lamps were just extinguished, the flowers scattered, and the ceremony was nearly over anyway." Zhu Bajie said, "Since it's over, hurry up and bring out the vegetarian meal. We'll eat and then sleep." The old man called out, "Light the lamps! Light the lamps!" When the household heard this, they were alarmed and said, "There were many incense candles in the hall for the sutra recitation. Why do we need to light more lamps?" Several servants came out to look, and seeing the pitch darkness, they grabbed torches and lanterns and rushed in all at once. When they looked up and saw Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, they were so terrified that they dropped their torches, quickly closed the inner doors, and ran inside shouting, "Monsters have come! Monsters have come!"
The Pilgrim picked up a torch, lit the lamps and candles, pulled over a chair for Tang Sanzang to sit on, and the three brothers sat on either side, with the old man sitting in front. As they were speaking, the inner door opened, and another old man leaning on a cane came out. He asked, "What evil spirit dares to come and disturb my good family in the middle of the night?" The old man who had been sitting in front quickly rose and went to meet him behind the screen door. "Brother, don't shout. They are not evil spirits. They are arhats from the Great Tang in the East on their way to obtain the scriptures. Though their disciples have fierce appearances, their hearts are good." Only then did the old man with the cane put down his staff, exchange greetings with the four, and also sit down. He called out, "Serve tea! Prepare the vegetarian meal!" He called out several times, but the servants were too terrified to come forward.
Zhu Bajie could not help asking, "Old sir, you have so many people in your house. Why are they all hiding and not moving?" The old man said, "I called them to bring out the meal to serve you honored sirs." Zhu Bajie asked, "How many people will serve us?" The old man said, "Eight people." Zhu Bajie asked, "And these eight people will serve whom?" The old man said, "They will serve the four of you." Zhu Bajie said, "That fair-faced master alone will be enough for one person. The one with the hairy face and thunder-god mouth will need two people. The one with the gloomy face will need eight people. As for me, I'll need twenty people to serve me." The old man said, "If that's the case, your appetite must be very large!" Zhu Bajie said, "It's tolerable, I suppose." The old man said, "I have people, I have people." He called out once, and thirty or forty servants of various ages came out.
Through the exchange between the monk and the old man, the servants gradually lost their fear. Tables were quickly set: the top table was for Tang Sanzang, three tables on the sides for the three disciples, and a table in front for the two old men. First, vegetarian fruits and vegetables were laid out, then noodles, rice, pastries, and soup were brought, all arranged neatly. Tang Sanzang raised his chopsticks and began reciting the Sutra for Beginning the Meal. The fool, partly impatient and partly hungry, did not wait for Tang Sanzang to finish. He grabbed a red-lacquered wooden bowl and, with a "pu," poured a bowl of white rice into his mouth and finished it in one gulp. A young servant nearby said, "This honored sir has no manners at all! He doesn't even use the steamed buns but eats the rice with a bowl. Aren't you afraid of dirtying your clothes?" Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Not dirty at all. I'm done." The young servant said, "You didn't even lift your chopsticks. How could you be done?" Zhu Bajie said, "You little rascal, you're lying! I clearly ate it. If you don't believe me, I'll eat another one to show you." The young servant brought another bowl. The fool shook the bowl and poured the rice into his mouth, finishing it in one gulp. The servants exclaimed, "Grandfather! Your throat must be paved with millstones, so smooth and slick!" By the time Tang Sanzang had finished reciting one roll of the sutra, he had already eaten five or six bowls. Only when Tang Sanzang had finished did the four of them begin to eat together. The fool recklessly grabbed at everything, whether rice, noodles, pastries, or fruit, shouting all the while, "More rice! More rice!" Gradually, no one dared to bring him more.
The Pilgrim said, "Worthy brother, eat a little less. It's better than going hungry in some mountain hollow. Be content with half a full stomach." Zhu Bajie said, "You and your sour face! As the saying goes, 'Feeding a monk but not letting him eat his fill is worse than burying him alive!'"
The Pilgrim said, "Take away the bowls and chopsticks. Ignore him!"
The two old men bowed and said, "To be honest with you, honored sirs, during the day it would be no problem. Even a big-bellied elder like this could be fed, even a hundred people. But now it is late. The leftover food is only about one dan of flour and noodles, five dou of rice, and a few tables of vegetarian dishes. We had originally planned to invite relatives, neighbors, and the monks to share in the blessings. But unexpectedly, you arrived, frightened away the monks, and the relatives dared not come either. So we are offering everything to you. If you are not full, we can steam more." Zhu Bajie said, "Steam more! Steam more!"
After these words, the household removed the bowls, chopsticks, and tables. Sanzang folded his hands and thanked the old man, then asked, "Old benefactor, what is your honorable surname?" The old man said, "My surname is Chen." Sanzang pressed his palms together and said, "Then we are of the same clan!" The old man was surprised. "Honored sir, you are also surnamed Chen?" Sanzang said, "Yes. My lay surname is also Chen. May I ask what ceremony you were just performing?" Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Master, why ask about that? How could you not know! It must be a 'Green Seedling Feast,' a 'Peace and Safety Feast,' or a 'Completion Feast'!" The old man shook his head. "No, none of those." Sanzang asked again, "Then what ceremony is it?" The old man sighed. "It is a 'Preparatory Requiem Feast.'" Zhu Bajie laughed so hard he stamped his feet. "Old gentleman, you really have no shame! We are the 'great kings' who specialize in lying and cheating people! How dare you try to fool us with such words! How could a monk not know about ceremonies? There are only 'Preparatory Depositing Feast' and 'Preparatory Repayment Feast.' Where is there a 'Preparatory Requiem Feast'? No one in your family has died. Why hold a requiem?"
When the Pilgrim heard this, he was secretly pleased. "This fool has gotten a bit smarter. Old gentleman, you must have said it wrong. What is a 'Preparatory Requiem Feast'?" The two old men leaned forward and asked, "You are going to obtain scriptures. Why aren't you taking the main road? Why have you come to our place instead?" The Pilgrim said, "We are on the main road. But we were blocked by a great river and could not cross. Hearing the sound of drums and cymbals, we came to your house to ask for lodging." The old man asked, "When you reached the river, did you see anything?" The Pilgrim said, "We only saw a stone stele with the words 'Celestial River' on it, and below that, 'Eight hundred miles across its span; from ancient times, few men have crossed.' Nothing else." The old man said, "If you had gone a little further upstream, about a mile from the stele, there is a temple to the Great King of Inspired Virtue. Didn't you see it?" The Pilgrim said, "No, we didn't. Please, old gentleman, tell us what this Great King of Inspired Virtue is all about."
The two old men wept together. "Honored sir! That Great King: His divine presence moves a temple to be built in this region; his awesome power protects the common folk for a thousand miles. Year after year, he bestows sweet dew upon the village; season after season, auspicious clouds descend upon the settlement." The Pilgrim said, "If he can bestow sweet rain and bring down auspicious clouds, that is a good thing. Why are you so grieved and troubled?" The old man beat his chest and sighed. "Honored sir! Though his kindness is great, there is still resentment; though he is merciful, he still harms people. It is because he must eat young boys and girls that he is not a truly upright and just deity."
The Pilgrim was startled. "He eats young boys and girls?" The old man said, "Exactly." The Pilgrim asked, "I suppose this year it is your family's turn?" The old man nodded. "This year it is indeed our turn. There are about a hundred families living here, under the jurisdiction of Yuanhui County in Chechi Kingdom. This place is called Chen Family Village. This Great King demands one sacrifice every year. We must offer one young boy and one young girl, along with pigs, sheep, and other offerings. After he eats the offerings, he ensures that our winds and rains are timely. If we do not make the sacrifice, he brings calamities and disasters."
The Pilgrim asked, "How many sons do you have in your house?" The old man beat his chest and sighed. "Alas! Don't even mention sons! It's too shameful! This is my younger brother, named Chen Qing, and I am Chen Cheng. I am sixty-three years old this year, and he is fifty-eight. Neither of us has many children. I had no son until I was fifty. My relatives and friends urged me to take a concubine. After much difficulty, I managed to have a daughter. She is eight years old this year, and we named her One Scale of Gold." Zhu Bajie asked, "What a precious name! Why is she called One Scale of Gold?" The old man said, "Because children were so hard to come by, I always kept accounts of my good deeds—repairing bridges, building roads, constructing temples and pagodas, and giving alms to monks. Wherever I spent three taels, wherever I spent five taels, by the year my daughter was born, I had spent exactly thirty catties of gold in total. Thirty catties make one scale, so I named her One Scale of Gold."
The Pilgrim asked again, "And this younger brother's son?" The old man said, "My younger brother has a son, also born of a concubine. He is seven years old this year, and his name is Chen Guanbao." The Pilgrim asked, "Why is he called Guanbao?" The old man said, "Our family worships Lord Guan the Saint. This child was obtained by praying before the statue of Lord Guan, so he is called Guanbao. The two of us brothers together are one hundred and twenty years old, and these two children are our only heirs to carry on the family line. We never imagined that this year the sacrifice would fall to our household. We have no choice but to offer them. So, unable to bear it, we are first performing a requiem for them to transcend their spirits. This is what the 'Preparatory Requiem Feast' is all about."
When Sanzang heard this, he could not help shedding tears. "This is truly what the ancients said: 'The yellow plum falls before the green plum; Heaven unjustly afflicts the childless man!'" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Let me ask you another question. Old gentleman, do you have any family property?" The two old men said, "We have some: about forty or fifty qing of paddy fields, sixty or seventy qing of dry fields, eighty or ninety pastures; two or three hundred water buffaloes, twenty or thirty horses and donkeys, and countless pigs, sheep, chickens, and geese. We also have more grain than we can eat and more clothes than we can wear. Our family property is not inconsiderable."
The Pilgrim said, "With so much family property, how can you bear to offer your own children as sacrifices? Spend fifty taels of silver to buy a young boy and a hundred taels to buy a young girl. That would be only two hundred taels in total, and you could keep your own children. Wouldn't that be fine?" The two old men wept and said, "Honored sir, you don't understand! That Great King is extremely spiritual. He often comes to our village to walk about." The Pilgrim asked, "When he walks about, do you see what he looks like or how tall he is?" The two old men said, "We cannot see his form. We only smell a fragrant wind, and then we know the Great King has arrived. We quickly burn incense and kneel down. He knows all the major and minor affairs of every family. He remembers everyone's birth date and hour. He will only accept children who are one's own flesh and blood. Not only can you not buy them for two or three hundred taels, but even for tens of millions of taels, you could not buy children born in the same year and month who look exactly the same!"
The Pilgrim said, "So that's how it is. Very well. Bring out your son and let me have a look." Chen Qing quickly went into the inner room, carried Guanbao out to the hall, and placed him before the lamp. The child, unaware of his impending doom, had fruits stuffed in his sleeves and was hopping and skipping about, eating and playing. The Pilgrim looked at him, silently recited a spell, shook his body, and transformed himself into the exact likeness of Guanbao. The two children, hand in hand, danced before the lamp. The old man was so terrified that he knelt before Tang Sanzang and said, "Honored sir, you cannot do this! You cannot do this! This honored sir was just speaking, and suddenly he has transformed into the likeness of my son! When I call, they both answer and walk together—this will shorten our lifespan! Please change back quickly! Please change back quickly!" The Pilgrim wiped his face and returned to his original form. The old man knelt on the ground and said, "Honored sir, you truly have such great powers!"
The Pilgrim laughed and asked, "Does he look like your son?" The old man said, "Yes! Yes! Yes! The face, the voice, the clothes, the height—all exactly the same!" The Pilgrim said, "You haven't examined him closely enough. Bring a scale and weigh him. See if he weighs the same." The old man said, "Yes! Yes! Yes! The same weight!" The Pilgrim asked, "If I go to the sacrifice like this, will I pass the test?" The old man said, "Absolutely! Absolutely! I'm sure you'll pass!" The Pilgrim said, "Today, I will take the place of this child and die, preserving the incense and descendants of your family. I will go and be sacrificed to the Great King." Chen Qing knelt down and kowtowed. "Honored sir, if you truly have the compassion to substitute for him, I will give one thousand taels of white silver to Tang the Master as travel expenses to send him to the Western Heaven!" The Pilgrim said, "Aren't you going to thank me?" The old man said, "If you take his place in the sacrifice, then you will be gone." The Pilgrim asked, "How would I be gone?" The old man said, "The Great King will eat you." The Pilgrim said, "He dares to eat me?" The old man said, "If he doesn't eat you, would he find you too rank?" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Let fate decide. If he eats me, it is my short life. If he doesn't, it is my good fortune. I will go with you to the sacrifice."
Chen Qing kowtowed endlessly in thanks and also promised to give another five hundred taels of silver. But Chen Cheng neither kowtowed nor gave thanks. He only leaned against the screen door and wept. The Pilgrim knew what was on his mind. He stepped forward and took his arm. "Old sir, you don't agree with me, you don't thank me. Is it because you cannot bear to part with your daughter?" Only then did Chen Cheng kneel down. "It is because I cannot bear it. I am deeply grateful for your kind heart in saving my nephew. That is already enough. But I have no son. I have only this one daughter. After I die, she would weep for me. How can I bear to let her go to her death!"
The Pilgrim said, "You go quickly and steam five dou of rice and prepare some good vegetarian dishes for my long-snouted brother to eat. Let him transform into the likeness of your daughter. The two of us brothers will go to the sacrifice together. Let's do a good deed thoroughly and save the lives of both your children. What do you think?" When Zhu Bajie heard this, he was so frightened that he shouted, "Brother, if you want to show off, don't drag me into it! Don't you care whether I live or die?" The Pilgrim said, "Worthy brother, as the saying goes, 'A chicken does not eat food it hasn't worked for.' We came in, ate the benefactor's meal, and you were still shouting that you weren't full. How can you not help them in their time of need?" Zhu Bajie said, "Brother, you know how to transform, but I don't!" The Pilgrim said, "You also have seventy-two transformations. How can you not know how?"
Tang Sanzang said, "Wuneng, your senior brother is right, and his plan is sound. As the saying goes, 'Saving one life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda.' Firstly, it repays their deep kindness. Secondly, it accumulates hidden virtue. Besides, there is nothing to do tonight. It would be good for you two brothers to go and have some fun." Zhu Bajie said, "Master, what kind of talk is that! I can only transform into a mountain, a tree, a rock, an elephant, a water buffalo, or a fat man. To transform into a little girl is far too difficult!" The Pilgrim said, "Don't listen to him. Bring out your daughter and let's have a look."
Chen Cheng quickly went into the inner room and carried One Scale of Gold out to the hall. The wives, concubines, and all the servants of the household, young and old, inside and out, all came out to kowtow and bow, begging only that the child's life be spared. The girl wore a flower-and-jade headdress with hanging pearls and a red silk jacket with yellow patterns, over which she wore an official green satin cape with a chessboard collar. Around her waist was a large red flowered silk skirt, and on her feet were light red silk shoes with a toad's head design. On her legs were two pairs of gold-embroidered knee-pads. She also had fruits stuffed in her sleeves. The Pilgrim said, "Zhu Bajie, this is the little girl. Hurry up and transform yourself to look like her, and we'll go to the sacrifice." Zhu Bajie said, "Brother, she is so petite and pretty! How can I transform into that?" The Pilgrim shouted, "Hurry up! Or I'll hit you!" Zhu Bajie was alarmed. "Brother, don't hit me. I'll transform for you to see."
The fool recited a spell, shook his head, and shouted, "Change!" He actually managed to turn his head into the likeness of the little girl's face. But his