Though the Great Sage had been driven away by Tang Sanzang, his heart still held concern for his master. Unable to suppress a sigh, he soon caught sight of the Eastern Ocean, vast and endless. He thought to himself, "It has been five hundred years since I last traveled this path!" He gazed upon the sea: Misty waves stretched wide and boundless, immense swells rolled on and on. The misty waves reached up to touch the Celestial River ; the giant swells ran deep to connect with the earth's veins . The tide surged in violently, soaking the winding bays. The tide's fury was like thunder roaring through the spring months; the water soaking the bays was like wild winds blowing through the summer season. Even the blessed old man who rode a dragon would surely frown before crossing here; the immortal youths who flew on cranes would hesitate and worry. Near the shore, there were no villages; beside the water, few fishing boats were seen. Waves rolled like snow from a thousand years; the wind blew as if it were autumn in the sixth month. Wild fowl appeared and disappeared at will; sand birds floated or sank as they pleased. No fishermen could be seen before one's eyes; only the cries of gulls could be heard. The fish in the depths of the sea swam joyfully, while the geese at the edge of the sky flew in sorrow.
The Great Sage leaped up, crossed the Eastern Ocean in a single bound, and soon arrived at Flower-Fruit Mountain. He pressed down his cloud and opened his eyes to look. To his shock, he saw that all the flowers and plants on the mountain had vanished. The mists and clouds had dissipated. The peaks and rocks had collapsed, and the trees had all been burned into dead charcoal. Do you ask why this had happened? Because when he had caused havoc in Heaven and was taken away, the mountain had been set ablaze by the Illustrious Sage Erlang and his seven sworn brothers from Plum Mountain . The Great Sage's heart grew even more sorrowful at the sight. A classical poem describing the desolate scene bears witness: Looking back at the immortal mountain, tears streamed down his face; facing the mountain in its misery, he felt even greater grief. In the past, he had thought the mountain was unharmed; only today did he realize the earth had suffered loss. How hateful that Erlang had destroyed him; how infuriating that the lesser sage had bullied him. They had committed violence, digging up the graves of his ancestors; they had broken into the tombs of his forefathers for no reason. The mists and clouds that once filled the sky had all vanished; the winds and clouds that covered the earth had all scattered. No longer could the roar of the striped tiger be heard on the eastern ridge; where was the cry of the white ape on the western mountain? On the northern stream, foxes and rabbits had left no trace; in the southern valley, the deer and roe deer had vanished without a shadow. Green rocks had been burned into thousands of clods of earth; blue sand had turned into piles of mud. All the tall pines outside the cave had fallen; the verdant cypresses before the cliff had become scarce. The toon, cedar, locust, juniper, chestnut, and mulberry trees were all scorched; the peach, apricot, plum, pear, and jujube trees were all gone. Without the mulberry and catalpa, how could silkworms be raised? With few willows and sparse bamboo, it was hard for birds to perch. The clever stones on the peaks had turned to dust; the springs in the ravines had dried up, leaving only grass. The black earth before the cliff had no orchids or irises; on the red mud by the roadside, only vines and creepers climbed. Where had the flying birds of the past gone? To which mountain had the running beasts of that time fled? The leopards hated the pythons in this ruined place; the cranes avoided the snakes in this desolate land. It seemed that because of evil deeds committed in the past, they now had to endure such hardship.
While the Great Sage was still grieving, he suddenly heard a sound from before the fragrant grass slope and within the thorny thicket. With a shout, seven or eight little monkeys leaped out and swarmed around him, kowtowing and crying out loudly, "Great Sage, Grandfather! Have you come home today?" The Handsome Monkey King asked, "Why aren't you all out playing? Why are you hiding one by one? I've been here for a while and haven't seen a single one of you. What has happened?" Upon hearing this, the monkeys wiped their tears and began to complain: "Ever since the Great Sage was taken up to Heaven, we have suffered terribly from the hunters. It has been unbearable! They come with strong crossbows and powerful bows, leading yellow eagles and fierce dogs, and carrying nets and snares. To save our lives, we dare not come out to play. We can only hide in the cave, far from our nests. When hungry, we steal a few grass seeds from the slope; when thirsty, we drink some spring water from the ravine. Just now, we heard the Great Sage Grandfather 's voice and came especially to welcome you. Please, save us!" The Great Sage's heart grew even more sorrowful upon hearing this. He asked again, "How many monkeys are left on this mountain?" The monkeys replied, "Counting both old and young, there are only a little over a thousand left." The Great Sage said, "I once had forty-seven thousand demon followers. Where have they all gone?" The monkeys answered, "After you left, Grandfather, this mountain was set on fire by Erlang Shen . More than half of the monkeys were burned to death. Those of us who survived hid in wells, in ravines, or under the Iron Plank Bridge. When the fire went out and the smoke cleared, there were no flowers or fruits to sustain us, and it was hard to stay alive. Half of the monkeys went away to other places. The remaining half, including us, have been suffering here on the mountain. In the last two years, the hunters have caught another half of us!" The Pilgrim asked, "What do they do with you when they catch you?" The monkeys said, "Speaking of those hunters, they are too hateful! They take our companions who died from arrows, spears, or poison, skin them, and strip their bones. Then they boil them in sauce, steam them with vinegar, or fry them in oil and salt, using them as dishes to go with their wine. As for those caught alive in nets or snares, they force us to jump through hoops, perform tricks, do somersaults, and stand on our heads. They beat drums and gongs in the streets, making a show of us, forcing us to do everything!" When the Great Sage heard this, his anger grew even fiercer. He asked, "Who is in charge of the cave now?" The demons replied, "The two marshals, Ma and Liu , and the two generals, Beng and Ba , are still managing things for us." The Great Sage said, "Go and tell them that I have returned." Those little monkeys ran into the cave and announced, "The Great Sage Grandfather has come home!" When Ma, Liu, Beng, and Ba heard this, they hurried out, kowtowed, and welcomed the Great Sage into the cave. The Great Sage sat in the center, and the multitude of demons gathered before him, bowing. They spoke, saying, "Great Sage Grandfather, we recently heard that you had saved your life and were accompanying Tang Sanzang to the West to fetch scriptures. Why are you not heading west but instead returning to our home mountain?" The Great Sage said, "Little ones, you do not understand. That Tang Sanzang cannot tell good from evil. On the journey, I used all my life's skills to capture demons and eliminate monsters for him, killing several evil spirits. But he accused me of being violent and evil, refused to have me as his disciple, and drove me away. He even wrote a certificate of dismissal as proof and said he would never use me again." Upon hearing this, the monkeys clapped their hands and laughed heartily, saying, "Excellent! Excellent! Why bother being a monk? It's better to come home and play with us for a few years!" They then shouted, "Quickly, bring the coconut wine to welcome Grandfather!" The Great Sage said, "Don't drink the wine yet. Let me ask you, how often do those hunters come to the mountain?" Marshal Ma and Marshal Liu replied, "Great Sage, they come every day to harass us, no matter the time." The Great Sage asked, "Why haven't they come today?" Ma and Liu said, "They should be arriving soon." The Great Sage then gave orders: "Little ones, all of you go out and gather the broken stones that have been burned soft on the mountain and pile them up—either twenty or thirty in a pile, or fifty or sixty in a pile. Pile them well, for I have a use for them." Hearing this, the little monkeys, like a swarm of bees, scrambled and jumped about, carrying many stones and piling them up. After the Great Sage saw this, he instructed again, "Little ones, all of you hide inside the cave and let Old Sun perform his magic."
The Great Sage climbed to the top of the mountain and looked around. From the south, he heard the beating of drums and the clanging of gongs. A force of over a thousand men and horses appeared, all leading eagles and hounds and carrying swords and spears. The Monkey King carefully observed these men, who came with fierce momentum. These fellows were truly brave! Look at them: They wore fox fur draped over their shoulders and fine brocade wrapped around their waists and chests. Wolf-tooth arrows were stuck in their quivers, and carved bows hung from their hips. The men were like tigers searching the mountain; the horses were like dragons leaping across ravines. They led their hounds in packs and carried their eagles on their arms. Baskets of brambles carried fire lances, and they brought along sea eagles. There were a hundred carrying poles for sticky snares and a thousand rabbit forks. Ox-head nets blocked the road, and Yama's noose ropes were at the ready. They all shouted in a chaotic uproar, scattering like stars across the sky.
When the Great Sage saw these people charging into his mountain, his heart was filled with fury. He formed a hand seal with his fingers, muttered a spell under his breath, and facing the direction of the Xun trigram, he took a deep breath and blew it out. Instantly, a fierce wind arose. What a powerful wind! Look at it: It raised dust and scattered earth, toppled trees and destroyed forests. Ocean waves rose like mountains; turbulent waters surged in ten thousand layers. Heaven and earth became dark and hazy; the sun and moon grew dim and gloomy. A gust shook the pines like a tiger's roar; suddenly entering the bamboo grove, it sounded like a dragon's moan. Ten thousand hollows howled as if Heaven itself were sighing; flying sand and rolling stones wildly injured people. The Great Sage raised this great wind, and those broken stones flew and crashed about wildly in the gale. Pity that force of over a thousand men and horses! The stones smashed the dark heads of the horses to pieces; the flying sand injured all the seahorses. Amidst the chaos before the ginseng and official cinnamon ridges, the ground was stained with cinnabar-like blood. The aconite could hardly return to its native land; the betel nut could not find its way home. The corpses lay scattered on the mountain field like light powder, while the red lady waited at home in vain. A poem says: Men dead and horses slain, how could they return home? Wild ghosts and lonely souls scattered like tangled hemp. Pity those brave and heroic fellows, who could not distinguish good from evil and stained the sand with their blood.
The Great Sage pressed down his cloud, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily, saying, "How satisfying! How satisfying! Ever since I became a monk and followed Tang Sanzang, he always advised me: 'A thousand days of good deeds are still not enough; one day of evil is more than enough.' Those words were truly spoken! When I was with him, I killed a few monsters, and he blamed me for being violent. But today, I have come home and disposed of so many hunters." He then shouted, "Little ones, come out!" When the wind had died down and the monkeys heard the Great Sage's call, they all leaped out. The Great Sage said, "Go to the southern foot of the mountain. Strip the clothes from the dead hunters, bring them back to the cave, wash off the bloodstains, and wear them to keep warm. Throw the corpses of the dead into the bottomless deep pools. Drag the dead horses back, skin them to make boots to wear, and salt the meat to eat slowly. Use those bows, arrows, swords, and spears to practice your martial arts. As for those banners of various colors, bring them back, for I have a use for them." The monkeys all agreed and went off to carry out his orders. The Great Sage took those banners, washed and cleaned them, and pieced them together into a single multi-colored flag. On it, he wrote fourteen characters: "Rebuilding Flower-Fruit Mountain, Restoring the Water Curtain Cave, The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven." He erected a pole and hung the flag outside the cave. From then on, he daily summoned demons and gathered wild beasts, stockpiling grain and fodder, and never again mentioned the word "monk." With his wide connections and great abilities, he even went to the four Dragon Kings of the seas to borrow some sweet rain and immortal water, which he used to wash the mountain until it turned green again. In front of the mountain, he planted elm and willow trees; behind the mountain, he planted pine and nanmu. Peach, plum, jujube, and plum trees were all planted. From then on, he lived freely and at ease, settling down there. We will leave this for now.
Let us now speak of Tang Sanzang. He had believed Bajie's slander and driven away the capable Wukong. Then he mounted his horse, let Bajie lead the way, and had Sha Monk carry the luggage as they headed west. After passing White Tiger Ridge, they suddenly came upon a forested hill. Vines and creepers climbed and twisted around the verdant pines and cypresses. Sanzang called out, "Disciples, the mountain path is steep and winding, very hard to traverse. Moreover, this place is dense with pines and full of trees. We must be careful! I fear there might be demons and monsters." Look at Bajie, he roused his spirits, told Sha Monk to lead the horse, and himself took his rake to clear the path, leading Tang Sanzang into the pine forest. As they were walking, the elder reined in his horse and said, "Bajie, I am very hungry today. Where can I find some vegetarian food to eat?" Bajie said, "Master, please dismount and wait here for me. I will go and find some food." The elder dismounted, Sha Monk put down the load, took out the alms bowl, and handed it to Bajie. Bajie said, "I'm off." The elder asked, "Where are you going to look?" Bajie replied, "Don't worry about it, Master. This time, even if I have to drill through ice to get fire or press snow to get oil, I will find some food for you." Look at him as he left the pine forest and walked west for over ten miles. He did not encounter a single household. It was truly a place with only wolves and tigers, no human habitation. The fool grew tired from walking and thought to himself, "When Wukong was here, if the master wanted food, it would be there in an instant. Now it's my turn. Truly, 'only when you are in charge do you know the price of firewood and rice; only when you raise children do you understand the kindness of your parents.' There really is no place to beg for food." As he walked, he grew sleepy. He thought, "If I go back now and tell the old monk there is no place to beg for food, he certainly won't believe I walked this far. I need to dawdle for a few more hours before I can go back and report. Oh well, oh well, I'll just take a nap in this clump of grass first." The fool buried his head in the grass and lay down to sleep. He only meant to doze for a moment, but who would have known that a man tired from walking, once he lies down, will fall into a deep, snoring sleep? Let us leave aside Bajie's sleeping for now.
Let us speak again of the elder in the pine forest. He felt his ears burning and his eyelids twitching, and he was uneasy at heart. He hurriedly turned and called to Sha Monk, saying, "Wuneng has gone to beg for food. Why is it taking him so long to return?" Sha Monk said, "Master, you don't know him yet! He sees that on the road to the West, there are many families who give food to monks, and on top of that, he has a big belly. He doesn't care whether you are hungry or not. He will definitely wait until he is full before coming back." Sanzang said, "That is true! If he is there, greedy for food, where can we go to find him? It is getting late, and this is no place to stay. We must find somewhere to lodge." Sha Monk said, "It's nothing, Master. You just sit here and wait. I will go and find him." Sanzang said, "Good, good! Whether there is food or not is of little importance. The crucial thing is to find a place to stay." Sha Monk picked up his precious staff, left the pine forest, and went to look for Bajie. The elder was left alone, sitting in the pine forest. Feeling both bored and tired, he forced himself to cheer up and stood up. He gathered the luggage in one place, tied the horse to a tree, took off his bamboo hat, put down his monk's staff, straightened his robe, and slowly began to walk through the quiet woods, hoping to distract himself. The elder looked at the wild grass and mountain flowers, but he could not bear to hear the calls of the birds returning to their nests. The forest was full of deep grass and narrow paths. His mind was in turmoil, and he ended up taking the wrong path. He had intended to relieve his boredom and also to find Bajie and Sha Monk, but he did not know that the two of them had gone due west. After wandering for a while, the elder instead went south. Leaving the pine forest, he suddenly looked up and saw a golden light flashing and colorful vapors rising in the distance. He looked carefully and saw that it was a precious pagoda, its golden spire shining. The setting sun was reflecting off the golden spire, giving off the light. The elder said, "My disciples are truly lacking in affinity! Ever since I left the land of the East, I have made a vow: whenever I see a temple, I burn incense; whenever I see a Buddha, I worship; whenever I see a pagoda, I sweep it. Isn't that shining thing a golden pagoda? Why didn't I take that path? There must be a monastery beneath the pagoda, and in the monastery, there must be monks. I will go and have a look. The luggage and white horse here, I think no one will touch them. It should be safe. If I can stay there, when my disciples come, we can borrow a room to spend the night." Alas! At this moment, the elder's bad luck had arrived. Look at him as he strode forward and went straight to the foot of the pagoda. He saw: The stone cliffs were ten thousand fathoms high; the great mountain reached up to the blue sky. Its roots were embedded deep in the earth, and its peaks pierced the heavens. On both sides were several thousand mixed trees; in front and behind, creepers stretched for over a hundred miles. Flowers reflected in the grass tips, and the wind cast shadows; water flowed through cloud-like caverns, and the moon had no roots. Fallen trees lay across the deep ravines; withered vines hung from the shining peaks. Beneath the stone bridge, a clear spring gushed and flowed; on the stone platform, a bright white surface shone. From afar, it looked like the Paradise of the Three Islands; up close, it seemed like the blessed land of Penglai. Fragrant pines and purple bamboos surrounded the mountain streams; crows, magpies, apes, and monkeys darted through the lofty ridges. Outside the cave gate, rows of beasts came and went in an orderly fashion; within the forest, flocks of birds flew in and out. The fragrant grass was lush and beautiful; the wildflowers bloomed brilliantly. This place was clearly an evil realm, yet the elder, in his misfortune, had stumbled into it.
The elder stepped forward and had just reached the door of the pagoda when he saw a bamboo curtain hanging inside. He stepped through the door and pushed aside the curtain to enter. As he looked up, he saw a demon lying on its side on a stone bed. Do you ask what that demon looked like? It had an indigo face, white fangs, and a great gaping mouth. Its hair on both sides was disheveled and messy, all dyed with rouge. Its three or four purple, majestic whiskers looked like rows of lychee seeds. Its nose was hooked like a parrot's beak, and its eyes were round and staring like morning stars. Its two fists were the size of a monk's alms bowl; its two blue feet were like gnarled, twisted branches from a cliff. It wore a pale yellow robe, which surpassed even the finest embroidered cassock. The knife it held flashed with a brilliant light; the stone it slept on was smooth and flawless. It had once commanded its little demons in ant-like formations; it had once sat like an old king in a beehive court. Look at its imposing manner, as everyone shouted and called it "Lord." It had once drunk wine with the moon as its companion; it had once enjoyed tea while the wind blew beneath its arms. Look at its vast supernatural powers, as it glanced around and roamed the ends of the earth. Birds chirped in the desolate forest; dragons and snakes slept in the deep thickets. Immortals planted fields that grew white jade; Taoists refined fire to make cinnabar pills. Though this small cave gate could not compare to the Avici Hell, this monstrous demon was nothing less than a yaksha from the Ox-Head Hell. When the elder saw this sight, he was so frightened that he stepped back. His whole body went numb, and his legs turned weak. He quickly turned to run away. But as soon as he turned, the demon's spiritual perception was extremely high. It forced open its golden, ghostly eyes and shouted, "Little ones, look outside the door and see who it is!" A little demon stuck its head out the door and saw a bald-headed elder. It hurriedly ran back in and reported, "Great King, there is a monk outside! He has a round face, a large countenance, and ears that hang down to his shoulders. His skin is tender and fair. He is truly a fine monk!" When the demon heard this, it sneered and said, "This is truly 'a fly on a snake's head, a meal that delivers itself!' You little ones, hurry up and chase after him! Catch him! I will richly reward you." Those little demons, like a swarm of bees, all rushed out together. Though Sanzang's heart was burning with anxiety, wanting to run faster, he was ultimately so terrified that his heart pounded and his legs gave way. On top of that, the mountain path was rugged and the sky was growing dark. He could not move at all. The little demons lifted him up and carried him away. Truly: When a dragon swims in shallow water, it is teased by shrimps; when a tiger falls onto the plain, it is bullied by dogs. Though good deeds are always beset by obstacles, who has suffered as much as Tang Sanzang on his journey west? Look at those little demons. They carried the elder to outside the bamboo curtain and reported joyfully, "Great King, we have caught the monk!" The old demon also stole a glance at him. It saw that Sanzang's head was upright and his appearance was dignified. He was indeed a fine monk. The demon thought to itself, "Such a fine monk must surely be a figure descended from Heaven. He cannot be underestimated. If I do not put on a show of power, how will he submit to me?" Suddenly, it began to put on airs. Its red beard stood on end, its red hair shot up to the sky, its eyes glared as if they would split, and it bellowed, "Bring that monk in!" The multitude of little demons answered in unison, "Yes!" and pushed Sanzang inside. Truly, "When you are under a low eave, how can you not bow your head?" Sanzang could only put his palms together and bow to it. The demon said, "Which temple's monk are you? Where have you come from? Where are you going? Speak quickly and clearly!" Sanzang said, "I am a monk from the Tang Dynasty. By order of the Great Tang Emperor, I am going to the West to seek the Buddhist scriptures. Passing by your noble mountain, I came especially to pay homage at the pagoda. I did not expect to disturb the Great King. I beg you to forgive my offense. When I have obtained the scriptures from the West and returned to the land of the East, I will forever remember your great name." When the demon heard this, it laughed heartily and said, "I was just wondering what great figure from a superior nation this was, and it turns out to be you! I was just thinking of eating you, and here you are at the perfect time! Perfect! Otherwise, I would have missed you. You were always meant to be the food in my mouth, so naturally you deliver yourself to my door. Even if I let you go, you wouldn't be able to leave; even if you wanted to run, you couldn't escape!" It called to the little demons, "Tie this monk up!" Those little demons immediately rushed forward, bound the elder tightly with ropes, and fastened him to the Soul-Settling Pillar. The old demon took up his knife and asked again, "Monk, how many people are in your party? Do you dare to go to the Western Heaven all by yourself?" Sanzang, seeing that he held a knife, could only tell the truth: "Great King, I have two disciples, named Zhu Bajie and Sha Heshang. They have both left the pine forest to beg for food. There is also a load of luggage and a white horse, all left in the pine forest." The old demon said, "This is another stroke of luck! Two disciples plus you makes three. Add the horse, that makes four. Enough for a meal!" A little demon said, "Let us go and catch them!" The old demon said, "No need to go out. Close the front gate. When those two disciples come back from begging for food, they will surely look for their master. When they cannot find him, they will surely come looking for me here. As the saying goes, 'Business that comes to your door is easy to do.' We will wait slowly for them to come and be caught." The multitude of little demons closed the front gate. For now, let us leave aside Sanzang's misfortune.
Let us speak instead of Sha Monk. He left the pine forest to look for Bajie. After walking over ten miles, he did not see a single village. He stood on high ground and looked around. Suddenly, he heard someone talking in the grass. He quickly parted the deep grass with his precious staff and saw that it was the fool, talking in his sleep inside. Sha Monk grabbed him by the ear and woke him up, saying, "You fool! The master told you to beg for food, and here you are sleeping?" The fool woke up in a daze and asked, "Brother, what time is it now?" Sha Monk said, "Get up quickly! The master says it doesn't matter whether there is food or not. We need to find a place to stay." The fool, still groggy, picked up his alms bowl, tucked his rake under his arm, and went back with Sha Monk. When they returned to the pine forest, they saw that the master was gone. Sha Monk complained, "It's all your fault, you fool, for not coming back from begging for food. A demon must have captured the master!" Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, don't talk nonsense. This forest is a pure and elegant place. There are certainly no demons here. The old monk must have gotten restless and gone for a walk somewhere to clear his mind. Let's go find him." The two of them had no choice but to lead the horse and carry the load, pack up the bamboo hat and monk's staff, and leave the pine forest to look for their master. This time, it was also because Tang Sanzang was not meant to die. The two of them searched back and forth for a while but could not find their master. Suddenly, they saw a golden light flashing in the south. Bajie said, "Brother, a blessed person is truly blessed. Look, the master must have gone to that house. That shining thing is a precious pagoda. Who would dare to be rude? They will surely prepare some food and keep him there for the night. Let's hurry up and go. We can also get there in time to eat something." Sha Monk said, "Brother, we don't know if it's good or bad luck yet. Let's go and have a look first." The two of them strode valiantly up to the gate. Ah! The gate was closed. On the door was a horizontal slab of white jade, on which were engraved six large characters: "Wave-Moon Cave on Bowl-Mountain." Sha Monk said, "Brother, this is no monastery. It's a demon's cave! If the master is in here, things will be bad." Bajie said, "Brother, don't be afraid. You tie up the horse first and watch the luggage. I'll go and ask what's going on." The fool raised his rake, stepped forward, and shouted loudly, "Open the gate! Open the gate!" The little demon guarding the gate inside the cave opened the door. As soon as he saw the two of them, he quickly turned and ran back in to report, "Great King! Business has arrived!" The old demon asked, "What business?" The little demon said, "Outside the cave gate, there is a monk with a long mouth and big ears, and another monk with a dark face. They are calling at the gate!" The old demon was overjoyed and said, "It's Zhu Bajie and Sha Monk looking for their master! Ah, they managed to find their way here, didn't they? Since they look fierce, we must not be rude to them." He called out, "Bring my armor!" The little demons brought the armor. The old demon put it on, picked up his knife, and went straight out the door. Let us speak of Bajie and Sha Monk waiting outside the gate. Suddenly, they saw the demon come out. His appearance was extremely fierce. Do you ask how he was dressed? His blue face, red beard, and red hair fluttered in the wind. His golden armor shone with a brilliant light. A belt of agate and stone girded his waist and belly; a cloud-patterned sash bound his chest and held his armor in place. When he stood idly before the mountain, the wind howled; when he roamed the seas in boredom, the waves surged endlessly. A pair of indigo, sinewy hands gripped the soul-chasing, life-taking blade. If you want to know the name and surname of this creature, his famous title is the Yellow Robe Monster. The Yellow Robe Monster came out and asked, "Where are you monks from, shouting at my gate?" Bajie said, "My son, don't you recognize your own father? I am from the Great Tang, sent to the Western Heaven! My master is the Imperial Younger Brother, Sanzang. If he is in your house, send him out quickly, or I will smash my way in with this rake!" The demon laughed and said, "Yes, yes, yes, there is a Tang Sanzang in my house. I have not been rude to him. I have prepared some human-flesh buns for him to eat. Why don't you two come in and have one too? How about it?" This fool actually believed him and was about to go in. Sha Monk grabbed him and said, "Brother, he is lying to you! When have you ever eaten human-flesh buns?" Only then did the fool come to his senses. He pulled out his rake and struck at the demon's face. The demon dodged to the side and quickly parried with his steel knife. Both of them displayed their divine powers, mounted their clouds, and leaped into the air to fight. Sha Monk put down the luggage and the white horse, raised his precious staff, and hurried to help. At this moment, two fierce monks and one ferocious demon engaged in a bitter struggle in the clouds. Truly: The staff rose to meet the knife; the rake came and was parried by the blade. A demon general displayed his might; two divine monks manifested their transformations. The nine-toothed rake was truly heroic; the demon-subduing staff was indeed fierce and terrifying. They attacked from front and back, left and right all at once, but the Yellow Robe remained completely unafraid. Look at him, his steel knife flashing bright as silver. In truth, his supernatural powers were also vast. The battle caused the sky to be filled with swirling mist and clouds; halfway up the mountain, cliffs crumbled and peaks cracked. One fought for his reputation and would never yield; the other fought for his master and was absolutely fearless. The three of them went back and forth in mid-air, fighting for several dozen rounds without being able to determine a victor. Each was fighting for his life, and it was truly a hard-fought, tangled battle. Whether they will be able to rescue Tang Sanzang or not, you must listen to the explanation in the next chapter.