When the king of Dharma-Destroying Kingdom held his morning court, all the civil and military officials presented their memorials and said, " Your Majesty , we beg you to forgive our discourtesy!"
The king was puzzled. "Your etiquette is the same as always. What discourtesy is there?"
The officials quickly replied, "Your Majesty! For some unknown reason, we have all lost our hair overnight!"
The king picked up the memorials reporting the loss of hair, descended from his dragon throne , and said to the assembled ministers, "How strange! Everyone in my palace , from the highest to the lowest, has also lost all their hair overnight!"
The king and his ministers all wept and said, "From this day forward, we will never dare to kill another monk!"
The king returned to his throne, and the officials took their places. The king said again, "If anyone has business, step forward and report. If there is none, let us adjourn the court."
At that moment, from the ranks of military officers stepped forth the City Patrol General , and from the civil officials stepped forth the Eastern City Military Commissioner . Both knelt at the foot of the steps and said, "Your servants, following your orders to patrol the city, captured a band of thieves last night. We seized a chest of stolen goods and a white horse. Your servants dare not handle this without your decree. We await Your Majesty's judgment!"
The king was overjoyed. "Bring the chest directly to me!"
The two officials immediately returned to their offices, gathered their soldiers, and carried the chest into the palace. Inside the chest, Tripitaka was terrified out of his wits. He whispered, "Disciples, when we are brought before the king, what shall we say?"
The Pilgrim laughed. "Stop your fussing! I have already made all the arrangements. When the chest is opened, they will have to bow to us as their masters! Just tell Bajie not to argue with anyone."
Bajie quickly said, "As long as I can escape death, that will be a great blessing. How would I dare to argue!"
As they spoke, the chest had already been carried to the palace gates, brought through the Five Phoenix Tower, and placed at the foot of the grand hall's steps.
The two officials asked the king to open the chest, and the king immediately ordered it done. The moment the lid was lifted, Zhu Bajie could not contain himself and leaped out, scaring the officials so badly that their souls scattered and they could not speak. Next, the Pilgrim helped Tripitaka out, and Sha Monk brought out the luggage. When Bajie saw the General holding the white horse, he strode forward and roared, "That horse is mine! Bring it here!" The General was so frightened that he fell to the ground.
The four masters and disciples all stood in the middle of the steps. When the king saw that they were four monks, he quickly descended from his dragon throne, summoned the three palace queen s and all the civil and military officials, and came forward to bow. "Venerable Masters, from where have you come?"
Tripitaka said, "We are sent by the Great Tang in the East to journey to the Great Thunderclap Monastery in the Heavenly Kingdom of the West , to pay homage to the Buddha and seek the true scriptures."
The king asked, "Venerable Master, you have traveled from afar. How did you come to be resting inside a chest?"
Tripitaka said, "This humble monk heard that Your Majesty had made a vow to kill monks. I did not dare to enter the city openly, so I disguised myself as a layman and sought lodging at an inn in your noble kingdom last night. Fearing that my identity would be discovered, I hid inside a chest. Unexpectedly, thieves stole it, and the General captured it and brought it here. Now that I am able to see Your Majesty, it is like parting the clouds to see the sun. I beg Your Majesty to pardon this humble monk. Your great kindness will never be forgotten!"
The king quickly said, "Venerable Master, you are a high monk from the celestial court of the Great Tang. I failed to welcome you from afar, and this is truly discourteous! The reason I previously vowed to kill monks was because some monks had slandered me. So I made a great vow to kill ten thousand monks to achieve perfection . But last night, I suddenly came to my senses, and we all became 'monks'—now the hair of all my ministers, consorts , and myself has been shaved off. I beg the Venerable Master not to despise us, but to accept us as disciples!"
When Bajie heard this, he burst out laughing. "Since you want to bow to us as masters, there must be a greeting gift , right?"
The king said, "If the masters are willing to accept me, I am willing to offer all the treasures of my kingdom!"
The Pilgrim said, "Do not speak of treasures. We are monks who follow the Way . All you need to do is to exchange our travel documents and see us out of the city. We will ensure that your kingdom enjoys long-lasting peace and that your people live in prosperity and health ."
When the king heard this, he immediately ordered the Court of Imperial Entertainment to prepare a grand banquet. The king and his ministers all bowed to the four masters and disciples as their teachers. They exchanged the travel documents on the spot and also begged the masters to change the name of the kingdom.
The Pilgrim said, "Your Majesty, the name 'Dharma Kingdom' is quite good, but the word 'Destroying' is unlucky. Since we have come here, let it be renamed ' Honored Dharma Kingdom .' This will ensure your kingdom a thousand generations of peace and prosperity, with favorable winds and rains for all your people!"
The king thanked them for their kindness, arranged carriages and honor guards , and saw the four of them off as they headed west out of the city. From that day forward, the king and his ministers turned to goodness and truth. We will say no more of this for now.
Let us now speak of the elder as he took leave of the Honored Dharma King. Seated on his horse, he said joyfully, "Wukong, your plan was truly wonderful! You have rendered a great service!"
Sha Monk asked, "Brother, where did you find so many barbers to shave all those people's heads overnight?"
The Pilgrim recounted the magic of transforming his hairs and sending out little pilgrims to do the shaving . The masters and disciples all laughed until their jaws ached.
As they were rejoicing, they suddenly saw a high mountain blocking their path. Tripitaka reined in his horse and said, "Disciples, look at this mountain—so high and dangerous! We must be careful!"
The Pilgrim laughed. "Rest assured! Rest assured! I guarantee nothing will happen!"
Tripitaka said, "Do not just say nothing will happen. I see these peaks piercing the clouds, and from afar they exude an aura of danger. Dark clouds rise from within the mountain. The more I look, the more uneasy I become. My whole body feels numb, and my mind is unsettled."
The Pilgrim laughed. "Have you forgotten the Heart Sutra that the Crow's Nest Zen Master taught you?"
Tripitaka said, "I have not forgotten it."
The Pilgrim said, "Although you remember the sutra, there are still four lines of verse that you must have forgotten."
Tripitaka asked, "Which four lines?"
The Pilgrim recited: "Do not seek the Buddha on Vulture Peak far away; Vulture Peak is only in your own heart. Everyone has a Vulture Peak pagoda; it is best to cultivate beneath that Vulture Peak pagoda."
Tripitaka said, "Disciple, how could I not know this? If we follow what these four lines say, no matter how many scriptures there are, in the end it is all about cultivating the mind ."
The Pilgrim said, "Exactly! When the mind is still, it can distinguish right from wrong. When the heart is filled with good thoughts, any realm is pure. With even a trace of laziness, even if you cultivate for a thousand or ten thousand years, you will never succeed. If you are sincere in your devotion to the Buddha, the Thunderclap Monastery is right before your eyes. But with you being so fearful and unsettled, you are far from the Great Way and far from the Thunderclap Monastery. Stop your pointless worrying and follow me!"
When the elder heard this, his mind and spirit immediately cleared, and all his worries vanished.
The four masters and disciples proceeded up the mountain together. After walking only a few steps, they looked up and saw that this mountain was truly extraordinary. Truly, this mountain was a fine mountain, and upon closer inspection, its colors were mottled and varied. Clouds drifted and swirled above its peaks, while before the cliffs, the shadows of trees cast a chill. Birds fluttered and chirped with a pattering sound, and wild beasts roamed with fierce and savage intent. Within the groves, a thousand pines stood tall, and on the ridges, several clumps of bamboo grew. The howling of grey wolves fighting for prey and the roaring of hungry tigers contending for a meal filled the air. Wild apes gave long, piercing cries as they searched for fresh fruit, while elk climbed among the flowers onto the emerald mountain mist. The wind blew with a rustling sound, and water babbled and gurgled. From time to time, the calls of secluded birds could be heard, a medley of sweet and intricate notes. Creepers and vines stretched and pulled in several places, while the entire stream was filled with rare herbs and fragrant orchids. Strange rocks jutted out with a glittering sheen, and the cliffs were sharp and jagged. Foxes and badgers roamed in packs, while monkeys and apes played in troops. A traveler would indeed worry about such steep and perilous terrain, and to make matters worse, the ancient path twisted and turned endlessly!
The masters and disciples advanced cautiously when suddenly they heard a "whoosh" as a gust of wind arose. Tripitaka said fearfully, "The wind has risen!"
The Pilgrim said, "In spring there is a gentle breeze, in summer a warm wind, in autumn a golden wind, and in winter a cold wind. The four seasons all have their winds. What is there to fear about the wind?"
Tripitaka said, "This wind comes too suddenly. It cannot be a natural celestial wind."
The Pilgrim said, "Since ancient times, wind rises from the earth and clouds emerge from the mountains. Where would a celestial wind come from?"
No sooner had he spoken than a fog arose. The fog was so thick it was terrifying. A vast and spreading darkness covered the sky, and a dense gloom shrouded the earth. Sunlight was completely obscured, and no sound of birds could be heard anywhere. It was as if the world had returned to primordial chaos, resembling a cloud of flying dust. The trees on the mountaintops could not be seen, and where would one find a herb-gatherer?
Tripitaka grew even more alarmed. "Wukong, the wind has not yet stopped, and now such a thick fog has arisen!"
The Pilgrim said, "Do not be anxious. Master, please dismount. Let Sha Monk stay here with you while I go ahead to see whether it is auspicious or ominous."
Truly, the Great Sage bent his waist and soared into midair. He raised his hand to his brow, opened his fiery golden eyes, and looked down. He saw, indeed, a fiend sitting on the edge of a cliff. When he looked more closely at the fiend's appearance, it was truly ferocious. Its markings were bright and colorful, and its imposing stance was vigorous and proud. Its sharp teeth protruded from its mouth like steel drills, and its sharp claws were hidden within its paws like jade hooks. Its round, golden eyes struck fear into birds and beasts, and its silver whiskers, standing on end, terrified even ghosts and spirits. It roared wildly, displaying its fierce power, and exhaled mist and sprayed wind, employing its cunning schemes.
He also saw thirty or forty lesser fiends standing beside the fiend, who was casting spells to spray wind and exhale mist. The Pilgrim laughed to himself. "My master does have some premonition. He said it was not a celestial wind, and indeed it is a fiend causing trouble. If I were to go down now and kill it with my iron staff, even if I succeeded, it would not show off my skills."
Being always a bold and heroic spirit, the Pilgrim disliked sneaky and underhanded schemes. He thought to himself, "I will go back first and tease Zhu Bajie. Let him come and fight this fiend. If Bajie can defeat it, it will count as his merit. If he cannot and gets captured by the fiend, I will go and rescue him. That way, my own prowess will be displayed." He then mused further, "Bajie is a bit lazy and does not like to take the lead. However, he is greedy for food and easy to fool. I will trick him and see if he falls for it."
He immediately descended from his cloud and returned to Tripitaka's side. Tripitaka asked, "Wukong, what is the fortune or misfortune in that wind and fog ahead?"
The Pilgrim said, "The fog has cleared now. There is no more wind or fog."
Tripitaka said, "Yes, I do feel that the fog has lessened a bit."
The Pilgrim laughed. "Master, my eyesight is usually quite good, but this time I was mistaken. I thought there was a fiend in the wind and fog, but it turns out there was not."
Tripitaka asked, "Then what was it?"
The Pilgrim said, "Not far ahead there is a village. The people in the village are kind-hearted, and they have steamed white rice and white-flour buns, specially offering them to monks. This fog is probably just the steam from their cooking, a good omen of their virtuous deeds."
When Bajie heard this, he took it seriously. He pulled the Pilgrim aside and whispered, "Brother, have you already gone and eaten their offerings?"
The Pilgrim said, "I did not eat much. The dishes were too salty for my taste."
Bajie said, "Pah! Even if they are salty, I can eat my fill! If I get thirsty, I can just come back and drink water!"
The Pilgrim asked, "You want to go and eat?"
Bajie said, "Of course! My stomach is growling with hunger. I want to go ahead and have a bite. What do you think?"
The Pilgrim said, "Brother, do not be impatient. As the old saying goes, 'When the father is present, the son cannot act on his own.' Master is still here. Who would dare to go first?"
Bajie laughed. "As long as you keep quiet, I can go."
The Pilgrim said, "I will keep quiet. Let us see how you manage it."
This fool, when it came to food, had plenty of tricks. He walked up to Tripitaka, bowed, and said, "Master, just now the elder brother said there is a village ahead where people are offering food to monks. Look at this horse. If we reach the village, it will need to eat hay, which will be troublesome. Now that the wind and fog have cleared, you can rest here for a while. Let me go ahead and find some tender grass to feed the horse, and then I can go to the village to beg for food. Would that be all right?"
Tripitaka said happily, "Very well! You are so diligent today! Go quickly and return quickly!"
The fool smiled secretly and left. The Pilgrim caught up with him and pulled him back. "Brother, the monks in that village only feed handsome monks, not ugly ones."
Bajie said, "In that case, I will have to change my appearance."
The Pilgrim said, "Yes, you should change your appearance and go."
Truly, this fool also knew thirty-six transformations. He went into a hollow in the mountain, made a hand seal, and recited a spell. He shook his body and transformed into a short, fat monk, holding a wooden fish in his hand and humming a chant through his nose. In truth, he did not know any sutras at all and could only hum the most elementary phrases.
Let us now speak of the fiend. He had withdrawn the wind and fog and ordered the lesser fiends to form a circle formation at the main intersection, specifically waiting for passersby. Bajie was unlucky. He had not gone far before he stumbled into the formation and was surrounded by the lesser fiends. Some tugged at his clothes, others pulled at his belt, pushing and shoving him roughly.
Bajie said, "Do not pull! Let me go to each house and eat my fill!"
The lesser fiends said, "Monk, what do you want to eat?"
Bajie said, "You are offering food to monks here. I have come to eat the offerings!"
The lesser fiends laughed. "You want to eat offerings here? Let us tell you, we specialize in eating monks! We are all immortal fiends who have attained the Way in these mountains. We are going to take you monks home, steam you in a steamer, and eat you. And you come here wanting to eat offerings!"
When Bajie heard this, his heart sank. He cursed the Pilgrim under his breath. "That Horse-Keeper is truly wicked! He tricked me into thinking there was a village offering food to monks. Where is the village? Where are the offerings? These are all fiends!"
The fool was tugged and pulled until he lost his temper. He immediately transformed back into his original form, pulled his rake from his belt, and swung it wildly, driving the lesser fiends back.
The lesser fiends ran back in panic to report. "Great King, it is terrible!"
The old fiend asked, "What has happened?"
The lesser fiends said, "A monk has come to the front of the mountain. He looked quite clean. We said we would take him home, steam him, and eat him, and if we could not finish, we would save him for later. But he knows how to transform!"
The old fiend asked, "What did he transform into?"
The lesser fiends said, "He does not look like a man! He has a long snout and big ears, bristles on his back, and he swings a rake with both hands, striking wildly without any aim. We were so frightened we ran back to report!"
The old fiend said, "Do not be afraid. Let me go and see." So saying, he picked up an iron club and went forward. When he saw Bajie, he was indeed ugly. His pestle-like snout was a full three feet long, and his tusks protruded like silver nails. His round eyes flashed like lightning, and his two ears fanned the wind with a whooshing sound. The bristles on the back of his head stood up like iron arrows, and his skin was rough, covered with scabs and bruises. In his hand he held a strange object—a nine-toothed rake that struck terror into all who saw it.
The fiend mustered his courage and roared, "Where do you come from? What is your name? Speak quickly, and I will spare your life!"
Bajie laughed. "Little one, do you not even recognize your own ancestor, the Pig? Come closer, and I will tell you: With a huge mouth and sharp tusks, I possessed divine strength. The Jade Emperor promoted me to Marshal Tianpeng. I commanded eighty thousand troops of the Heavenly River, and I lived happily and freely in the Heavenly Palace. But because I was drunk and molested a celestial maiden, I sold my heroic reputation. With one bite, I toppled the Dipper and Bull Palace, and I ate the Queen Mother's magic fungus. The Jade Emperor personally struck me two thousand hammer blows and banished me from the three heavens. He ordered me to cultivate my primordial spirit, but I became a fiend again on earth. I was about to marry a girl in Gao Village, but my luck was bad, and I ran into Elder Brother Sun. Under his golden-banded staff, I submitted and bowed my head to enter the Buddhist order. I carry the horse and pack the luggage, doing all the hard labor, because in a former life I owed a debt to Tripitaka. With iron feet, Marshal Tianpeng, whose surname is Zhu, my ordained name is Zhu Bajie."
When the fiend heard this, he roared, "So you are Tripitaka's disciple! I have long heard that Tripitaka's flesh is delicious. I was just thinking of capturing him, and you deliver yourself to my door. How could I spare you? Do not run! Take my club!"
Bajie said, "You beast! So you must be a cloth dyer!"
The fiend asked, "Why do you say I am a cloth dyer?"
Bajie said, "If you were not a cloth dyer, why would you be using a washing paddle?"
The fiend could not be bothered to argue with him and struck first. The two fought in the mountain hollow. The battle was truly fierce. The nine-toothed rake and the iron club clashed. The rake unleashed its techniques, rolling like a wild wind, while the club employed its schemes, falling like a sudden rainstorm. One was a nameless evil fiend blocking the mountain path, the other was a sinful Tianpeng guarding his master. With a righteous nature, why fear fiends and demons? Though the mountain is high, it cannot hinder the birth of metal from earth. The club parried like a python emerging from its pool; the rake advanced like a dragon leaving the riverbank. Their shouts and curses shook the mountains and rivers; their fierce roars startled the underworld. Two heroes each displayed their prowess, risking their lives in a contest of magic powers.
Bajie grew more vigorous the longer he fought, locked in a deadlock with the fiend. Seeing this, the old fiend ordered the lesser fiends to charge forward together, surrounding Bajie completely. We will leave this for now.
Let us now speak of the Pilgrim, who suddenly let out a cold laugh behind Tripitaka. Sha Monk was puzzled. "Brother, why are you laughing coldly?"
The Pilgrim said, "Zhu Bajie is truly a fool! As soon as he heard about offerings to monks, I tricked him into going. It has been a long time, and he has not returned. If he can defeat the fiend with his rake, he will come swaggering back to claim the credit. But if he is defeated and captured by the fiend, then I will be in trouble. He is probably cursing me as 'Horse-Keeper' a hundred times under his breath! Wujing, do not say anything. Let me go and see what is happening."
Truly, the Great Sage did not tell the elder. He secretly plucked a hair from the back of his head, blew on it with a magic breath, and shouted, "Change!" The hair immediately transformed into his own likeness, which stayed with Sha Monk and followed Tripitaka. His true form, however, leaped into the sky and looked down. He saw the fool surrounded by fiends, his rake waving more and more wildly, gradually losing his strength.
The Pilgrim could not contain himself. He pressed down his cloud and shouted loudly, "Bajie, do not panic! Old Sun is here!" When the fool heard the Pilgrim's voice, he immediately found new strength. His might grew even greater, and he charged forward with his rake, striking wildly. The fiend could not withstand him and muttered, "This monk was barely holding on just now. Why has he suddenly become so fierce?"
Bajie said, "Little one, do not bully me! My family has come to help me!" He charged forward even more recklessly. The fiend could no longer hold his ground and fled with his band of fiends. When the Pilgrim saw the fiend flee, he did not pursue. Instead, he turned around, rode his cloud back to where he started, shook the hair off his body, and absorbed it back. The elder, with his mortal eyes, saw nothing.
Before long, the fool returned victorious, exhausted, with snot and saliva all over his face, foam dripping from his mouth, and panting heavily. He called out, "Master!" The elder was startled when he saw him. "Bajie, you went to cut horse grass. How did you end up in such a sorry state? Did someone on the mountain stop you from cutting grass?"
The fool put down his rake, beat his chest, and stamped his feet. "Master! Do not ask! I am too ashamed to speak of it!"
The elder asked, "Why are you ashamed?"
Bajie said, "The elder brother played a trick on me! He said earlier that there were no fiends in the wind and fog, that it was safe, and that there was a village of kind-hearted people steaming white rice and white-flour buns to offer to monks. I believed him and thought since I was hungry, I would go ahead and have a bite. So I used cutting grass as an excuse to go. But the place was full of fiends! They surrounded me and fought me for half the day! If the elder brother had not come with his funeral stick to help, I would never have escaped!"
The Pilgrim laughed from the side. "You fool, talking nonsense! You got yourself into trouble and now you want to drag someone else into it. I have been with Master the whole time and have never left!"
The elder said, "Yes, Wukong has not left my side."
The fool jumped up and down and shouted, "Master! You do not know! He has a substitute!"
The elder asked, "Wukong, are there really fiends?" The Pilgrim could not hide it any longer. He bowed and laughed. "There are a few lesser fiends, but they dare not bother us. Bajie, come here, let me speak with you again. Protecting Master through dangerous mountain paths is just like leading an army into battle."
Bajie asked, "What does that have to do with leading an army?"
The Pilgrim said, "You will be the vanguard general, scouting ahead. If no fiends come, so much the better. If they do come, you fight them. If you defeat the fiend, all the credit is yours." Bajie thought about it and reckoned that the fiend's abilities were about equal to his own, so he said, "Even if I die at his hands, I will accept it! I will go first!"
The Pilgrim laughed. "You fool, speaking such unlucky words! How can you ever make progress like that!"
Bajie said, "Brother, have you not heard the saying, 'When a young master goes to a feast, he either gets drunk or full; when a brave warrior goes to battle, he either dies or is wounded'? If you speak auspicious words first, they will not come true. But if you speak a wrong word, you will have power and prestige later." The Pilgrim was pleased to hear this. He quickly adjusted the luggage on the horse, asked the master to mount, and Sha Monk shouldered the load. They followed Bajie into the mountain. We will leave this for now.
Let us now speak of the fiend, who led a few defeated lesser fiends back to his cave. He sat on a stone ledge, silent and brooding. There were many lesser fiends guarding the cave, and they all came forward to ask, "Great King, when you go out on patrol, you usually return happy. Why are you unhappy today?"
The old fiend said, "Little ones, in the past when I left the cave to patrol the mountain, whether I encountered humans or beasts, I would always catch a few and bring them back for you to eat. But today, my luck was bad, and I met my match."
The lesser fiends asked, "Who was this match?"
The old fiend said, "It was a monk, one of the disciples of Tripitaka from the East, who is going to fetch the scriptures. His name is Zhu Bajie. He defeated me with his rake, and I was forced to retreat. How infuriating! I have often heard lately that Tripitaka is a reincarnated arhat of ten lifetimes, and whoever eats a piece of his flesh will live forever. I did not expect him to come to my mountain today. I was just thinking of capturing him and steaming him for a meal, but who knew he would have such powerful disciples!"
No sooner had he spoken than a lesser fiend stepped forward from the crowd. First, he sobbed three times, then he giggled three times. The old fiend roared, "You cry and laugh at the same time. What sort of trickery is this?"
The lesser fiend knelt and said, "Great King, you just said you wanted to eat Tripitaka, but Tripitaka's flesh is not good to eat."
The old fiend said, "Everyone says that eating a piece of his flesh will grant immortality. How could it not be good to eat?"
The lesser fiend said, "If it were good to eat, he would never have made it this far. He would have been eaten by some other fiend long ago. He has three disciples!"
The old fiend asked, "Do you know who the three are?"
The lesser fiend said, "The eldest disciple is Sun the Pilgrim, the third is Sha Monk, and the one you just fought is the second disciple, Zhu Bajie."
The old fiend asked, "How does Sha Monk compare to Zhu Bajie?"
The lesser fiend said, "About the same." The old fiend asked again, "And how does Sun the Pilgrim compare to him?" The lesser fiend was so frightened he stuck out his tongue. "I dare not say! That Sun the Pilgrim has vast magical powers and knows seventy-two transformations! Five hundred years ago, he caused great chaos in the Heavenly Palace. None of the twenty-eight constellations, the nine astral officials, the twelve time lords, or all the civil and military officials of heaven dared to provoke him. How can you dare to think of eating Tripitaka?"
The old fiend asked, "How do you know all this so clearly?"
The lesser fiend said, "I used to follow the Great King of the Lion Camel Ridge in the Lion Camel Cave. That Great King did not know his own limits and wanted to eat Tripitaka. Sun the Pilgrim smashed into the cave with his golden-banded staff and beat us so badly that our losses were heavy, like a game of dominoes where all the pieces are broken. Fortunately, I had some sense and escaped through the back door. I came here and was taken in by the Great King, so I know his abilities." When the old fiend heard this, his face turned pale with fear. Truly, "A general fears hearing words of defeat." Hearing such words from his own men, how could he not be afraid?
Just as everyone was trembling with fear, another lesser fiend stepped forward and said, "Great King, do not be angry or afraid. As the saying goes, 'Things must be thought through slowly.' If you want to capture Tripitaka, I have a plan."
The old fiend asked, "What plan do you have?"
The lesser fiend said, "I have a 'Plum Blossom Petal Plan.'"
The old fiend asked, "What is the 'Plum Blossom Petal Plan'?"
The lesser fiend said, "Now call together all the greater and lesser fiends in the cave. Out of a thousand, choose a hundred; out of a hundred, choose ten; and out of those ten, pick only three who are capable and know transformations. Let them all take on the appearance of the Great King, wear your helmet, put on your armor, and wield your iron club. Have them hide in three different places. First, let one attack Zhu Bajie, then another attack Sun the Pilgrim, and the last one attack Sha Monk. Use these three lesser fiends to draw the three brothers away. Meanwhile, the Great King can stretch out your 'Cloud-Grasping Hand' from midair and seize Tripitaka. It will be as easy as reaching into your pocket to take something, or catching a fly in a basin of water. What difficulty is there in that?"
When the old fiend heard this, he was overjoyed. "This plan is wonderful! Wonderful! This time, if I do not catch Tripitaka, so be it. But if I do, I will not treat you poorly. I will appoint you as the Vanguard!" The lesser fiend kowtowed in thanks and immediately went to summon the fiends. Soon, from among the greater and lesser fiends in the cave, three capable ones were chosen. All transformed into the likeness of the old fiend, each holding an iron club. They lay in ambush, waiting for Tripitaka. We will leave this for now.
Let us now speak of Tripitaka, who had no more worries and followed Bajie along the main road. After walking for some time, suddenly there was a "thump" from the roadside, and a lesser fiend leaped out, charging straight at the elder. Sun the Pilgrim shouted, "Bajie! A fiend is coming! Why do you not attack?" The fool, without caring whether it was real or fake, pulled out his rake and chased after it, striking wildly. The fiend hastily parried with his iron club. The two fought at the foot of the slope. Before long, there was another sound from the grass, and another fiend leaped out, charging straight at Tripitaka.
The Pilgrim said, "Master! This is bad! Bajie's eyesight is poor. He let a fiend slip through to capture you! I will go and fight him!" He quickly pulled out his golden-banded staff and rushed forward, roaring, "Where do you think you are going! Take this!" The fiend did not say a word but raised his iron club and struck back. The two clashed and charged at the foot of the grassy slope. While they were locked in a fierce battle, suddenly a "whoosh" of wind came from behind the mountain, and yet another fiend leaped out, charging straight at Tripitaka.
When Sha Monk saw this, he was greatly alarmed. "Master! The eldest and second brothers have both been careless and let fiends slip through to capture you! Sit still on your horse and do not move. I will go and fight him!" Sha Monk, without caring whether it was real or fake, pulled out his demon-subduing staff and blocked the fiend's iron club. They fought with all their might. The three battlefields raged with noise and clamor, and the fighting grew farther and farther away.
The old fiend, hovering in midair, saw Tripitaka sitting alone on his horse. He stretched out his five claws, which were like steel hooks, and grabbed