Chapter 83: The Mind-Ape Recognizes the Elixir's Source; The Maiden Returns to Her True Nature

As Sanzang was let out of the cave by the demon, Sha Monk stepped forward and asked, "Master, you're out. Where is Senior Brother?" Eight Rules said, "He's full of tricks; he must have traded himself for you." The elder pointed at the demon and said, "Your brother is inside her belly." Eight Rules laughed. "How utterly disgusting! What's he doing in there? Come out quickly!"

The Pilgrim shouted from inside the demon's stomach, "Open your mouth and let me out!" The demon actually opened her mouth. The Pilgrim shrank himself small and was about to leap out from her throat when he feared she might bite him out of spite. So he took out his iron rod, blew on it with a magical breath, and cried, "Change!" The rod instantly turned into a jujube pit nail , propping open the demon's upper palate. The Pilgrim then sprang up, leaped out of her mouth, and pulled the rod out with him. Straightening up, he resumed his original form and raised his rod to strike. The demon immediately drew her twin swords and clanged them against the iron rod. The two of them fought on the mountaintop in a truly fierce battle:

Eight Rules, watching the fight, grumbled and complained about the Pilgrim instead. He turned to Sha Monk and said, "Brother, Senior Brother is just making trouble! When he was in the demon's belly, why didn't he just swing his fists, rip open her guts, tear through her skin, and crawl out? That would have been the end of it! Why did he have to come out through the mouth and start fighting, letting her act so arrogantly?"

Sha Monk said, "You're right. But luckily, Senior Brother rescued Master from the deep cave, and now he's fighting the demon. Let's first help Master sit down, then you and I will take our weapons and assist Big Brother in defeating the demon!"

Eight Rules waved his hands and said, "No, no, no! That demon has great magic powers; we're no match for her."

Sha Monk said, "Don't say that! This is for everyone's good. Even if our skills aren't great, we can still lend a hand, like adding wind to a fart ."

The Fool suddenly got excited. He drew his rake and shouted, "Let's go!" Leaving their master behind, the two of them mounted the wind and chased after the fight. Eight Rules raised his rake, and Sha Monk wielded his staff , striking wildly at the demon. The demon was already struggling against just the Pilgrim; when she saw two more coming, she knew she couldn't hold out. She quickly turned and fled.

The Pilgrim shouted, "Brothers, after her!" Seeing them in hot pursuit, the demon took off her embroidered shoe from her right foot, blew on it with a magical breath, and recited a spell. "Change!" she cried. The shoe instantly transformed into a double of herself, holding two swords and charging forward. Meanwhile, her true body flickered, turned into a gust of clear wind, and fled straight back into the cave. One would have thought she was just trying to save her life by fleeing, but she had another trick up her sleeve! And it was also because Sanzang's misfortunes had not yet ended: The demon reached the archway before her cave and saw the Tang Monk sitting there alone. She rushed forward, grabbed him, snatched the luggage, bit through the rein s, and whisked both man and horse back into the cave. We will leave this for now.

Meanwhile, Eight Rules brought his rake down with all his might, smashing the "demon" to the ground. When he looked, it was only an embroidered shoe. The Pilgrim saw this and cursed, "You two fools! You should have been watching Master! Who told you to come and steal the glory?"

Eight Rules said, "Sha Monk, see! I told you not to come. This monkey has lost his mind! We helped him subdue the demon, and all we get is blame!"

The Pilgrim said, "What subduing! This demon used the same trick of dropping her shoe to deceive me yesterday. While you were chasing her, who knows what happened to Master? Go back and look!"

The three hurried back and, sure enough, Master was gone. Even the luggage and the white horse were nowhere to be seen. Eight Rules panicked, running back and forth; Sha Monk searched everywhere; and the Great Sage Sun grew anxious and irritable. As they searched, they spotted half a broken rein lying by the roadside. The Pilgrim picked it up and couldn't help but weep. "Master! When I left, all was well. Now all that's left is this rein!" Truly, as the saying goes, "Seeing the saddle, one thinks of the steed; shedding tears, one longs for one's kin."

When Eight Rules saw him crying, he couldn't help laughing uproariously. The Pilgrim cursed, "You idiot! Are you thinking of disbanding again?"

Eight Rules laughed and said, "Brother, that's not it. Master must have been taken back into the cave by the demon. As the saying goes, 'No task is accomplished on the third try.' You've already gone in twice. Go in once more, and you're sure to rescue Master!"

The Pilgrim wiped away his tears and said, "Very well. Since things have come to this, there's no other way. I'll go in again. You two keep watch at the cave mouth and don't worry about the luggage and the horse."

Brave Great Sage! He turned and leaped into the cave, making no transformations but using his true form. And what a majestic form it was:

He halted his cloud and went straight to the demon's dwelling. Seeing the gate of the archway closed, he didn't care a whit. Raising his iron rod, he smashed it open with one blow and charged inside. The place was silent, with not a soul in sight. There was no sign of the Tang Monk in the eastern corridor, and the tables, chairs, and all the furniture in the pavilion were gone. It turned out that the cave covered over three hundred miles and the demon had many lairs. The first time she had captured the Tang Monk, the Pilgrim had found him here. This time, fearing the Pilgrim would come looking again, she had immediately moved, and no one knew where she had gone.

The Pilgrim was so angry he beat his chest and stamped his feet. He shouted loudly, "Master! You truly are a Tang Sanzang assembled from bad luck, a scripture-seeking monk piled high with calamities! Alas! I know this road so well now! How could you be gone? Where am I to find you?" As he raged, he suddenly caught a whiff of incense smoke. He calmed himself and said, "This smoke is coming from behind. Master must be back there!" Saying this, he strode forward, iron rod in hand, but still saw no movement. There were three rooms in the back, and against the rear wall stood a carved lacquered altar table shaped like a dragon's mouth. On the table was a large gilded incense burner, filled with thick, fragrant smoke. On the altar table was also a large golden tablet, on which was written: "The Seat of the Honored Father, Heavenly King Li." Beside it was a slightly smaller tablet that read: "The Seat of the Honored Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha."

When the Pilgrim saw this, he was overjoyed. He stopped looking for the demon and Master. He twisted his iron rod until it was as small as an embroidery needle and tucked it into his ear. Then he reached out, grabbed the tablets and the incense burner, mounted his cloud, and flew out of the cave. Once outside, he laughed and chuckled without stopping.

Eight Rules and Sha Monk heard his laughter and greeted him at the cave mouth. "Brother, you're so happy. Have you rescued Master?"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "There's no need for us to rescue him. We'll just ask these tablets for the man."

Eight Rules said, "Brother, the tablets aren't a demon and can't talk. How can you ask them for a man?"

The Pilgrim put the tablets on the ground and said, "Look for yourselves!" Sha Monk stepped forward and looked. The tablets read "The Seat of the Honored Father, Heavenly King Li" and "The Seat of the Honored Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha." Puzzled, he asked, "What does this mean?"

The Pilgrim said, "These are the tablets the demon worships. I rushed into her place but saw no one, only these. It must be that Heavenly King Li's daughter, or Third Prince Nezha's younger sister, grew tired of heaven and descended to earth, turning into a demon to kidnap Master. If we don't ask them for the man, who should we ask? You two stay here and guard the cave mouth. I'll take these tablets to the Heavenly Court and file a complaint with the Jade Emperor, making the Heavenly King and his son return my Master to me!"

Eight Rules said, "Brother, as the saying goes, 'To accuse someone of a capital crime, you need solid evidence; otherwise, you'll be punished yourself.' This matter must be based on reason and evidence. You can't just file a complaint carelessly. Tell me, how are you going to accuse them?"

The Pilgrim laughed. "I have a plan. I'll use these tablets and incense burner as evidence, and I'll write a complaint."

Eight Rules said, "What will the complaint say? Recite it for me to hear."

The Pilgrim recited: "The complainant, Sun Wukong, his age and place of origin are on record in the official registers. He is the disciple of Tang Sanzang, a monk from the Great Tang in the East, who is journeying to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. I now accuse the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing and his son, Prince Nezha, of failing to discipline their household, allowing their own daughter to descend to the mortal world. In the Hollow Mountain's Bottomless Cave, she has turned into a demon, murdered countless people, and now has captured my master and taken him to a remote and inaccessible place, leaving no trace. If I do not file this complaint, it would seem that the father and son are unrighteous, deliberately allowing their daughter to become a demon and cause harm. I humbly beseech the Jade Emperor to show mercy, to summon them for questioning, to subdue the demon and rescue my master, and to punish them according to the law. In gratitude, I submit this complaint."

Eight Rules and Sha Monk were overjoyed. "Brother," they said, "your complaint is well-founded. You're sure to win. Make sure you come back quickly. If you're late, the demon might harm Master's life!"

The Pilgrim said, "I'll be fast! I'll be back in the time it takes to cook a meal or brew a pot of tea."

Brave Great Sage! Holding the tablets and the incense burner, he leaped up, mounted his auspicious cloud, and sped straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. The mighty celestial guards and the guardian heavenly kings at the gate saw him and each bowed in respect, not daring to block his way, allowing him to enter. He went all the way to the Hall of Universal Brightness, where the four Heavenly Masters—Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu—greeted him and asked, "Great Sage, what brings you here?"

The Pilgrim said, "I have a complaint. I want to accuse two people."

The Heavenly Masters were startled. "This rascal, who knows who he's going to accuse now." Having no choice, they led him to the Hall of Spiritual Mist to present his petition. The Jade Emperor sent word for him to enter. The Pilgrim set down the tablets and incense burner, bowed to the Jade Emperor, and handed over his complaint. Immortal Ge took the complaint and spread it on the imperial desk. The Jade Emperor read it from beginning to end and immediately issued a decree. He summoned the Western Star Lord, the Great White Venus, to take the decree and go to the Cloud Tower Palace to summon the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li to the hall.

The Pilgrim stepped forward and said, "I beg the Jade Emperor to punish them severely, or else there will be more trouble!"

The Jade Emperor then commanded, "The plaintiff will also go."

The Pilgrim said, "Old Sun has to go too?"

The Four Heavenly Masters said, "His Majesty has decreed it. You will follow the Star Lord."

The Pilgrim followed the Star Lord, and they quickly mounted their clouds, arriving at the Cloud Tower Palace—the Heavenly King's residence. The Star Lord saw a young attendant standing at the gate. The attendant recognized him and immediately went in to announce, "The Great White Venus has arrived!" The Heavenly King hurried out to greet him. Seeing the Star Lord holding an imperial decree, he quickly ordered incense to be lit to receive it. Then he turned and saw the Pilgrim following behind. The Heavenly King's face instantly changed, and he flew into a rage.

Why was he angry? Years ago, when the Pilgrim had caused havoc in Heaven, the Jade Emperor had appointed the Heavenly King as the Grand Marshal for Subduing Demons and Prince Nezha as the God of the Three Altars and the Seas. They had led the heavenly troops to capture the Pilgrim but had been repeatedly defeated. The resentment from that defeat five hundred years ago had not faded, and the Heavenly King still harbored anger towards him. So, seeing him now, he was enraged. He couldn't help but ask, "Old Star Lord, what decree have you brought?"

The Star Lord said, "It is a complaint filed against you by the Great Sage Sun."

The Heavenly King was already annoyed. Hearing the word "complaint" only fueled his fury. "What is he accusing me of?"

The Star Lord said, "He accuses a demon in your house of kidnapping someone. Light the incense, receive the decree, and see for yourself."

The Heavenly King, fuming, set up an incense altar, gave thanks to Heaven, and then unrolled the decree. When he saw what it was about, he was so angry that he slammed his hand on the incense table and cursed, "This monkey! How dare he falsely accuse me!"

The Star Lord said, "Calm yourself, sir. Before the imperial throne, there are also the tablets and incense burner as evidence, claiming they belong to your own daughter."

The Heavenly King said, "I have only three sons and one daughter. My eldest son, Jinzha, serves as a vanguard protector at the Tathagata's side. My second son, Muzha, is a disciple of the Guanyin Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea. My third son, Nezha, is always by my side for protection. My daughter, Zhenying, is only seven years old and doesn't know anything. How could she possibly be a demon? If you don't believe me, I'll bring her out for you to see! This monkey is too insolent! Not to mention that I am a meritorious official of Heaven with the power to execute first and report later—even if I were a commoner in the mortal world, I couldn't be falsely accused like this! The law says: 'False accusers shall be punished three degrees more severely.'" He then shouted to his attendants, "Take the Demon-Binding Rope and tie up this monkey!"

The celestial officers below—the Giant Spirit God, the Fish-Belly General, and the Yaksa Valor Captain—immediately rushed forward and bound the Pilgrim. The Star Lord quickly said, "Heavenly King, don't cause trouble! I came with him on the Jade Emperor's orders to summon you. This rope is too heavy. If you injure him, it will be a problem."

The Heavenly King said, "Star Lord, after such a fraudulent accusation, how can I let him off? You sit for a while. I'll take my Demon-Slaying Sword and cut off this monkey's head, and then I'll go back with you to report to the throne."

Seeing that he was truly going for the sword, the Star Lord was terrified. He said to the Pilgrim, "You've done wrong! You can't just file a complaint carelessly! You didn't even check the facts. Now you're in a mess. What if you lose your life?"

The Pilgrim was not afraid at all. He laughed and said, "Old sir, don't worry. It's nothing. Old Sun does things this way—first a loss, then a win."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Heavenly King raised his sword and swung it at the Pilgrim. Third Prince Nezha rushed forward and used his Demon-Slaying Sword to block the blow, shouting, "Father, calm your anger!" The Heavenly King's face turned pale with fright. Alas! When a father sees his son using a sword to block his own, he should scold him back. Why was he so frightened instead?

It turned out that when the Heavenly King fathered Nezha, the child had the character "Na" in his left palm and "Zha" in his right, so he was named Nezha. This prince, only three days after birth, went down to the sea and caused trouble, trampling the Crystal Palace and capturing a dragon to pull out its sinews for a belt. When the Heavenly King learned of this, he feared future trouble and wanted to kill him. Nezha, enraged, took a knife and cut off his own flesh to return to his mother, and gouged out his bones to return to his father, giving back all his parents' essence and blood. Only a wisp of his soul remained, which fled to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss to beg the Buddha to save his life.

At that time, the Buddha was preaching to the assembled Bodhisattvas. Hearing someone crying for help from the direction of the jeweled canopies, he saw with his wisdom eye that it was Nezha's soul. Using green lotus roots for bones and lotus leaves for clothes, he recited the spell for bringing the dead back to life, and Nezha was revived. Later, Nezha became immensely powerful, subduing ninety-six caves of demons. He even wanted to kill the Heavenly King to avenge the bone-gouging. The Heavenly King, at his wit's end, had to beg the Tathagata for help. The Tathagata, valuing harmony, bestowed upon him a magnificent, translucent, jeweled golden pagoda, with a Buddha on each level, shining with golden light. He made Nezha recognize the Buddha as his father, thus resolving the enmity. Because of this, the Heavenly King was called the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li. Today, being at home and not carrying the pagoda, he feared Nezha might take the chance to settle old scores. So, when he saw Nezha blocking his sword, his face turned pale with fright.

The Heavenly King quickly turned back, picked up his golden pagoda, and held it in his hand. He asked Nezha, "My son, you used your sword to block mine. What do you have to say?"

Nezha threw down his sword, knelt, and kowtowed. "Father, you do indeed have a daughter in the mortal world."

The Heavenly King said, "My son, I have only given birth to you four siblings. Where would another daughter come from?"

Nezha said, "Has Father forgotten? That daughter was originally a demon. Three hundred years ago, after she had become a spirit, she stole the Tathagata's fragrant flowers and precious candles on Vulture Peak. The Tathagata sent us, father and son, with our heavenly troops to capture her. She should have been executed, but the Tathagata commanded: 'If you raise fish in a pond, don't fish for them; if you feed deer in the deep mountains, hope they live long.' So her life was spared. To repay this kindness, she acknowledged you as her father and me as her elder brother, setting up tablets in the lower world to burn incense and serve us. I never thought she would turn into a demon again and harm the Tang Monk. Sun the Pilgrim searched her lair, found the tablets, and filed a complaint. This is an adopted daughter, not a real sister."

When the Heavenly King heard this, he was astonished. "My son, I had truly forgotten. What is her name?"

The Prince said, "She has three names. Originally, she was called the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit. After stealing the fragrant flowers and precious candles, she changed her name to Half-Body Guanyin. Now, having descended to the mortal world, she is calling herself the Earth-Surging Lady."

The Heavenly King finally understood. He put down his pagoda and personally went to untie the Pilgrim's rope. But the Pilgrim deliberately made things difficult. "Who dares to untie me! If you want to untie me, then carry me, rope and all, to see the Jade Emperor! Only then can Old Sun win his case!"

The Heavenly King's hands went limp with fear. Nezha was speechless, and the officers below quietly retreated. The Great Sage rolled on the ground, acting like a rogue, insisting that the Heavenly King accompany him to see the Jade Emperor. The Heavenly King had no choice but to beg the Star Lord to intercede.

The Star Lord said, "The ancients said, 'In all matters, be lenient.' You were too hasty, tying him up and then wanting to kill him. This monkey is famous for his stubbornness. How am I supposed to smooth this over? Even if, as your son said, she is an adopted daughter and not a real one, there is still the bond of adoption. No matter how you defend yourself, you bear some responsibility."

The Heavenly King said, "Old Star, please help me. How can I be found innocent?"

The Star Lord said, "I would like to mediate, but I really have no excuse."

The Heavenly King laughed and said, "Mention the time you recruited him and gave him an official post. He might soften a bit."

The Star Lord had no choice but to step forward, pat the Pilgrim, and say, "Great Sage, for my sake, let him untie you so we can go see the Jade Emperor."

The Pilgrim said, "Old sir, there's no need to untie me. I can roll. I'll just roll all the way there."

The Star Lord laughed. "You monkey, you're so heartless! I've done you favors in the past. Can't you grant me this small request?"

The Pilgrim said, "What favors have you done for me?"

The Star Lord said, "In the old days, when you were a demon on the Flower-Fruit Mountain, subduing tigers and dragons, forcibly erasing your name from the Book of Life and Death, gathering a host of demons and causing havoc in the world, Heaven was about to capture you. It was I who strongly petitioned the Jade Emperor to issue a decree of amnesty, inviting you to Heaven and appointing you as the Protector of the Horses. Later, you drank the Jade Emperor's celestial wine, and again it was I who petitioned to have you appointed as the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. You didn't behave yourself, stealing peaches and wine, and stealing Lord Lao Zi's elixirs. In the end, you managed to keep your life. If it weren't for me, where would you be today?"

The Pilgrim said, "The ancients said well: 'When you die, don't be buried with an old man, for he loves to expose your faults.' I only became the Protector of the Horses and caused havoc in Heaven. There's nothing else major. Enough, enough. For your sake, old sir, let him untie me himself."

Only then did the Heavenly King dare to step forward and untie the rope. He invited the Pilgrim to put his clothes in order and sit down, then bowed to him one by one. The Pilgrim said to the Star Lord, "Old sir, see? I told you it would be first a loss, then a win. That's how things are done. Hurry up and make him go see the Jade Emperor. Don't delay the rescue of my master."

The Star Lord said, "Don't rush. After all this commotion, have a cup of tea first."

The Pilgrim said, "If you drink his tea and accept his favor, you'll be letting a criminal go and delaying the imperial decree. Can you bear that guilt?"

The Star Lord quickly said, "No tea! No tea! This monkey is trying to implicate me too! Heavenly King, hurry! Hurry!"

The Heavenly King didn't dare to go. He was afraid the Pilgrim would twist things around and spout nonsense before the Jade Emperor, leaving him no way to defend himself. Having no other choice, he begged the Star Lord for a plan. The Star Lord said, "I have something to say. Will you listen?"

The Pilgrim said, "I've already overlooked the matter of you tying me up and trying to kill me for your sake. What else do you have to say? Speak! If it's good, I'll go along. If it's not, don't blame me."

The Star Lord said, "'A single day in court leads to ten days of wrangling.' You filed the complaint, saying the demon is the Heavenly King's daughter. The Heavenly King says she is not. The two of you will argue back and forth before the Jade Emperor, and there will be no end to it. You must know that one day in Heaven is one year in the mortal world! In that one year, the demon will have your master trapped in the cave. Not to mention forcing him into marriage—if she gives birth to a child, that would be a huge disaster!"

The Pilgrim lowered his head and thought. "That's right! I told Eight Rules and Sha Monk that I'd be back in the time it takes to cook a meal or brew tea. Now I've been dawdling for half a day. This is definitely a delay! Old sir, I'll do as you say. But how will the imperial decree be answered?"

The Star Lord said, "Let the Heavenly King muster his troops and go down to the mortal world with you to subdue the demon. I'll go back and report the decree."

The Pilgrim said, "What will you report?"

The Star Lord said, "I'll say the plaintiff has run away, so there's no need to summon the defendant."

The Pilgrim laughed. "Fine! I'm doing you a favor, and you say I ran away! Have him muster his troops and wait for me outside the Southern Heavenly Gate. I'll go back with you to report the decree and hand over the complaint."

The Heavenly King said fearfully, "If he goes, he might talk nonsense. Then I'll be guilty of deceiving the emperor."

The Pilgrim said, "What do you take Old Sun for? I am also a man of honor! 'A word spoken is a word that must be kept, not even four horses can take it back.' How could I speak ill of you?"

The Heavenly King quickly thanked the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim and the Star Lord returned to report the decree. The Heavenly King mustered his own celestial troops and went straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. The Star Lord and the Pilgrim went back to see the Jade Emperor. The Star Lord said, "The one who kidnapped the Tang Monk is the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit. She falsely set up the tablets of the Heavenly King and his son. The Heavenly King has been informed and is now mustering his troops to subdue the demon. We beg Your Majesty to forgive him." The Jade Emperor, already aware of the situation, issued a decree to drop the matter.

The Pilgrim immediately mounted his cloud and went to the Southern Heavenly Gate. There he saw the Heavenly King and the Prince, along with their celestial troops, waiting. The divine generals, with rolling winds and swirling mists, received the Great Sage, and together they descended from the clouds, quickly arriving at the Hollow Mountain.

Eight Rules and Sha Monk were waiting with anxious eyes. When they saw the celestial troops and the Pilgrim arrive, Eight Rules hurried forward to bow. "Hard work! Hard work!"

The Heavenly King said, "Marshal Tian Peng, you may not know that it was because my son and I accepted a stick of incense from her that this demon was able to trap your master. Please don't blame us for being late. Is this the Hollow Mountain? I wonder which direction the cave entrance faces?"

The Pilgrim said, "I know this road well. This cave is called the Bottomless Cave. It covers over three hundred miles, and the demon has many lairs. Last time, my master was in the archway with two drops of water. This time, it's completely silent, with no trace of anyone. I don't know where she has moved."

The Heavenly King said, "'No matter how many tricks she plays, she cannot escape the net of Heaven and Earth.' We'll think of a plan when we reach the cave mouth."

They walked forward for about ten miles and came to a large rock. The Pilgrim pointed to a cave opening the size of a jar and said, "That's the cave mouth."

The Heavenly King said, "'If you don't enter the tiger's den, you can't catch the tiger's cubs.' Who is willing to lead the way?"

The Pilgrim said, "I'll go!"

The Third Prince said, "I received the decree to subdue the demon. I'll go first!"

Eight Rules also became reckless and shouted loudly, "For leading the way, it has to be Old Pig!"

The Heavenly King said, "Stop arguing. Let's do as I say. The Great Sage Sun and the Prince will go down with the troops. The three of us will guard the cave mouth. We'll cooperate from within and without, leaving the demon no way to escape to heaven or earth. This will also give us a chance to show our skills." Everyone answered, "Yes."

Now, the Pilgrim and the Third Prince, leading the troops, plunged into the cave in a flash. They rode clouds of light, flickering and flashing as they went forward. Looking up, they saw that this cave was truly extraordinary:

The same sun and moon wheeled overhead, illuminating a vast landscape of mountains and rivers. Pearly abysses and jade wells emitted warm mist, and there were many more sights to admire. Layer upon layer of crimson towers and painted pavilions rose up; steep red cliffs and green fields spread before them. Willows of spring and lotuses of autumn grew together—a rare and wondrous cave heaven indeed.

Soon, they halted their clouds and went straight to the demon's original dwelling. They searched door by door, shouting and calling as they examined every level and every corner. They trampled over the entire three-hundred-mile area but found no trace of the demon or Sanzang. Everyone said, "This vile creature must have left the cave long ago and fled far away."

Little did they know that the demon was hiding in a dark corner in the southeast. Below that was a small cave. Inside the cave was a small door, leading to a low room. In the room were several pots of flowers, and beside the eaves leaned a few stalks of bamboo. Black vapors swirled, and a faint fragrance drifted. The old demon had brought Sanzang here and was forcing him to marry her, thinking the Pilgrim would never find him. But her bad luck had caught up with her. The little imps in the cave were chattering and crowding together. One of the bolder ones stuck his neck out to look outside and bumped right into one of the celestial soldiers. He cried out, "They're here!"

The Pilgrim's anger flared. He twisted his golden-banded rod and charged in. The cave was cramped and filled with demons. The Third Prince commanded the celestial troops to swarm in, and the demons had nowhere to hide. The Pilgrim found the Tang Monk, along with the dragon horse and the luggage. Seeing no way to escape, the old demon knelt before Prince Nezha and kowtowed without ceasing, begging for mercy.

The Prince said, "This is by order of the Jade Emperor to capture you. This is no small matter! My father and I nearly got into serious trouble because of the incense we accepted from you!" He then shouted, "Celestial soldiers, take the Demon-Binding Rope and tie up all these demons!" The old demon was bound to suffer some pain.

The entire company mounted their clouds and flew out of the cave together, the Pilgrim laughing and chuckling all the while. The Heavenly King opened the cave mouth and greeted the Pilgrim, saying, "At last, we have seen your master."

The Pilgrim said, "Thank you! Thank you!" He then led Sanzang forward to bow and thank the Heavenly King and the Prince. Sha Monk and Eight Rules wished they could tear the old demon to pieces, but the Heavenly King said, "She was captured by imperial decree. She cannot be disposed of casually. We must return to report the decree."

On one side, the Heavenly King and the Third Prince, leading the celestial troops, escorted the demon back to the Heavenly Court to await judgment. On the other side, the Pilgrim protected the Tang Monk, Sha Monk packed the luggage, and Eight Rules led the horse. They helped the Tang Monk mount, and together they set out on the main road. Truly:

Cutting through the silk net of a thousand golden seas, unlocking the jade lock, they escaped the cage.

What they would encounter next, you must