Now, the king of Festival Kingdom and his civil and military officials, having seen the Great Sage Sun and Zhu Bajie ride the wind, carrying the two little demons as they drifted away, all knelt and bowed to heaven, saying, “Truly, his fame is well-deserved! Only today do we know that such divine immortals and living Buddhas truly exist!” After they had flown out of sight, they turned and bowed again to Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing, saying, “I am but a mortal with fleshly eyes . I thought your disciples were merely skilled and could capture demons at best. I never imagined they were celestial immortals who could ride clouds and mists!”
Tang Sanzang said, “This humble monk possesses no magical powers; I rely entirely on these three disciples for the journey.” Sha Wujing said, “To be honest with Your Majesty, my eldest senior brother is the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven , who has taken refuge in the Buddhist faith. He once wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and with his golden-banded staff, even one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers could not defeat him. He made the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord tremble with fear and the Jade Emperor’s heart pound with alarm. My second senior brother is the Marshal Tian Peng reborn, who once commanded eighty thousand water soldiers in the Heavenly River . I alone have little power, having been the Curtain-Lifting General who took vows and began to cultivate. We brothers are unskilled in many things, but when it comes to capturing demons and monsters, seizing thieves and fugitives, subduing tigers and dragons, kicking down mountains and digging up wells, or even churning up rivers and overturning seas, we have some understanding. As for riding clouds, summoning wind and rain, moving stars and constellations, carrying mountains and chasing the moon—these are trivial matters, not worth mentioning!”
When the king heard this, he grew even more respectful. He invited Tang Sanzang to sit in the seat of honor, addressing him repeatedly as “Venerable Buddha” and calling Sha Wujing and the others “Bodhisattvas.” All the court officials were overjoyed, and the people of the nation kowtowed in sincere devotion. Of this, we shall say no more for now.
Meanwhile, the Great Sage Sun and Zhu Bajie rode the fierce wind, bringing the two little demons to the Azure Wave Pool at Chaos Stone Mountain . They halted their clouds. Wukong blew a breath of immortal energy onto his golden-banded staff and cried, “Change!” The staff transformed into a monastic knife . He cut off the black-fish demon’s ear and the catfish demon’s lower lip, then threw them into the water, shouting, “Go back at once and tell the Ten Thousand Saints Dragon King that I, your grandfather Sun, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, am here. Tell him to quickly hand over the original treasure from the Golden Light Monastery pagoda in Festival Kingdom. If he does, I will spare the lives of his entire family! But if he dares to utter even half a word of refusal, I will drain this pool dry and cause every one of his kin, young and old, to perish!”
The two little demons, having barely escaped with their lives, endured their pain and fled, dragging their chains as they plunged into the water. The soft-shelled turtles, water snakes, turtles, tortoises, shrimp, crabs, and fish spirits all crowded around to ask, “Why are you two dragging chains?” One covered his ear, shaking his head and wagging his tail; the other covered his mouth, beating his chest and stamping his feet. They clamored as they ran to the dragon king’s palace to report, “Great King, disaster has struck!”
The Ten Thousand Saints Dragon King was drinking with his son-in-law, the Nine-Headed Prince Consort . Seeing the two little demons, he set down his wine cup and asked what had happened. The little demons recounted the whole story from beginning to end: “Yesterday, while on patrol, we were captured by Tang Sanzang and Sun the Pilgrim and bound with iron chains. Today, after being presented before the king, we were seized again by the Pilgrim and Zhu Bajie. One had his ear cut off, the other his lip. They sent us back to deliver a message, demanding that you return the treasure from the pagoda top.”
When the old dragon heard that it was Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, his soul fled and his spirit scattered. Trembling with fear, he said to his son-in-law, “Wise son-in-law, if anyone else had come, we might have managed. But if it is truly him, we are in deep trouble!” The prince consort laughed heartily and said, “Father-in-law, rest assured. I have studied martial arts since childhood and have met many heroes across the four seas. Why should I fear him? Let me go out and fight him for three rounds. I guarantee I will make him bow his head in surrender, not daring to lift his eyes to look at me!”
The demon quickly donned his armor and took up his weapon, a crescent-moon spade . He left the palace, parted the waters, and surfaced, shouting, “Who is this ‘Great Sage, Equal of Heaven’? Come up quickly and meet your death!” Wukong and Zhu Bajie stood on the shore and watched. The demon’s appearance was thus: He wore a silver helmet that gleamed brighter than white snow; he was clad in armor that shone like autumn frost. Over his body was draped a brocade battle robe, like a rainbow cloud wrapping a piece of jade; around his waist was a belt of rhinoceros hide, like a patterned python entwined with golden threads. The crescent-moon spade in his hand was swift as lightning; the pigskin boots on his feet could part the waters. From afar, he appeared to have only one head and one face, but up close, every side had a human form. He had eyes all around, front and back, so he could see movement in all eight directions; he had mouths on both left and right, and all nine mouths could speak at once. One roar shook the empty sky, like a crane’s cry piercing the nine heavens.
Seeing no one answer, the demon shouted again, “Which one of you is the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven?” Wukong pressed down his golden fillet, straightened his iron staff, and said, “It is I, Old Sun.” The demon asked, “Where is your home? From where do you come? How is it that you have come to Festival Kingdom to help the king guard the pagoda, dared to capture my subordinates, and now come to my precious mountain to issue a challenge?”
Wukong cursed, “You thieving fiend, you do not even recognize your grandfather Sun! Listen well: Old Sun’s ancestral home is Flower-Fruit Mountain, the Water Curtain Cave amidst the great seas. From youth I cultivated an indestructible body , and the Jade Emperor appointed me the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. Because I once wreaked havoc in the Dipper Palace , none of the heavenly gods could defeat me. I was forced to invite the Tathagata Buddha to display his supreme wisdom . He made a wager with me, betting on my somersault cloud, and turned his hand into a mountain to crush me. For five hundred years I lay trapped, until Guanyin Bodhisattva interceded and I escaped with my life.”
“Tang Sanzang of the Great Tang traveled west to the Spirit Mountain to seek the Buddha’s scriptures. He freed me and took me as his protector, to refine demons and purify evil through our cultivation. On our journey, we came to Festival Kingdom in the Western Regions, where three generations of monks had been wrongfully killed. Out of compassion, we inquired about the old grievances and learned that the pagoda had lost its light. My master swept the pagoda to investigate the truth, and in the dead of night, when all was silent, he caught a fish spirit who confessed the truth. He said that you had stolen the treasure. The entire affair was the doing of the dragon king, whose daughter, the Princess Ten Thousand Saints , was also involved. A rain of blood was used to extinguish the pagoda’s light, and the treasure was stolen and put to your use. The confession before the throne was true and without falsehood. I have come here on the king’s orders to seek battle. There is no need to ask for my surname again. Hand over the treasure at once, and spare the lives of your entire family, young and old. If you dare to act rashly and rely on your strength, I will make your waters dry up and your mountains crumble into ruin!”
When the prince consort heard this, he sneered coldly and said, “So you are just a monk on a pilgrimage for scriptures, meddling in other people’s affairs! I stole the treasure, and you are seeking the true scriptures. What business is it of yours? Why do you come to fight?” Wukong said, “You thieving fiend, you have no sense of reason! Though I have received no favor from the king and have eaten none of his food, and thus have no obligation to help him, you stole his treasure and defiled his precious pagoda, causing the monks of Golden Light Monastery to suffer injustice for years. They are fellow monks of mine, so how could I not seek justice for them?” The prince consort said, “If that is the case, then it seems we must settle this with a contest of strength. As the saying goes, ‘When a warrior fights, he shows no mercy.’ I fear that if I strike, I might wound your life and delay your journey for the scriptures!”
Wukong was enraged and cursed, “You thieving fiend, what abilities do you possess to dare speak such big words? Come forth and taste your grandfather’s staff!” The prince consort was not flustered in the slightest. He used his crescent-moon spade to block the iron staff, and the two began to fight on Chaos Stone Mountain. The battle was truly fierce: The demon had stolen the treasure, leaving the pagoda dark; the Pilgrim captured the demon and reported to the king. The little demons escaped back into the water; the old dragon, terrified, consulted with his kin. The nine-headed prince consort displayed his might, donning his armor to show his strength. In a rage, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, raised his golden-banded staff with immense force. That monster had nine heads and eighteen eyes, shining with light all around; this Pilgrim had a pair of iron arms with a thousand pounds of strength, radiating auspicious clouds and blessings. The spade was like the first crescent moon appearing; the staff was like ten thousand miles of flying frost. The demon said, “You have no business avenging this injustice!” I replied, “You deliberately stole the treasure, truly wicked! You reckless fiend, do not be so arrogant! Return the treasure and you will know peace!” The staff met the spade in a contest of height and depth; neither side could claim victory as they fought across the battlefield.
They fought back and forth for over thirty rounds, unable to decide the outcome. Zhu Bajie stood before the mountain and, seeing the intensity of the battle, raised his rake and struck at the demon from behind. But this demon, with nine heads, had eyes all around and could see everything clearly. Seeing Bajie approaching from behind, he used his spade to block the rake while the spade’s head also held off the iron staff. After another five or seven rounds, unable to withstand the attack from both front and back, the demon rolled over, leaped into the air, and revealed his true form—a nine-headed worm!
This worm was truly terrifying: Its feathers were like brocade, and its body was like a mass of cotton. It was about twelve feet in circumference and as long as a giant turtle. Its two feet were sharp as hooks, and its nine heads were clustered together. When it spread its wings, it could fly with exceptional speed, even the roc bird had less power; its cry could be heard for a thousand miles, rising higher than a crane’s call. Its many eyes flashed with golden light, and its aura was fierce and arrogant, unlike any ordinary bird.
Zhu Bajie was terrified at the sight and said, “Brother! In all my life, I have never seen such a frightening creature! What kind of monster gave birth to this?” Wukong said, “Truly rare! Truly rare! Let me give chase and strike it!” The Great Sage, being excellent, swiftly mounted his auspicious cloud and leaped into the sky. He raised his iron staff and struck at the creature’s head. The monster displayed its great divine power, spread its wings, and flew sideways. With a whoosh, it turned and flew to the front of the mountain. From its waist, another head emerged, opened a bloody mouth like a basin, and bit down on Bajie’s bristles. Half-dragging and half-pulling, it hauled Bajie into the waters of the Azure Wave Pool.
At the entrance of the dragon palace, the monster resumed its original form, threw Bajie to the ground, and shouted, “Where are my men?” The minnow, whitefish, carp, and mandarin fish spirits, along with the turtles, tortoises, and giant turtles, rushed forward and said, “Here!” The prince consort said, “Tie up this monk to avenge my patrolmen!” The little demons shoved and carried Bajie inside. The old dragon king came out joyfully to greet them, saying, “Wise son-in-law, you have accomplished a great deed! How did you capture him?” The prince consort recounted the events, and the old dragon immediately ordered a feast to celebrate. Of this, we shall say no more for now.
Meanwhile, Sun the Pilgrim saw the demon capture Bajie and felt a pang of worry. “This monster is truly formidable! If I return to court to see my master, I fear the king will mock me. If I go to challenge them again, I will be alone, and I am not skilled in water combat. It would be better for me to change my form, go inside, and see how the monster is dealing with the fool. If there is an opportunity, I can steal him out.”
The Great Sage, being excellent, recited a spell, shook his body, and transformed into a crab. He plunged into the water and went straight to the archway. He was familiar with this path from the time he had transformed into a crab to steal the Bull Demon King’s golden-eyed beast. He crawled all the way to the palace and scuttled sideways. Seeing the old dragon king and the nine-headed worm’s entire family joyfully drinking, Wukong did not dare to approach. He crawled past the eastern corridor and saw several shrimp and crab spirits playing. Imitating their manner, he asked, “That long-snouted monk captured by the prince consort—is he dead yet?” The little demons said, “He is not dead. He is tied up under the western corridor, groaning.”
Hearing this, Wukong lightly crawled over to the western corridor. There, indeed, he saw the fool tied to a pillar, groaning. Wukong approached and said, “Bajie, do you recognize me?” Bajie recognized Wukong’s voice and said, “Brother, what is happening! I have been captured by this monster instead!” Wukong looked around to see no one was near and used his crab claws to bite through the chains, freeing him. Bajie, now free, said, “Brother, my weapon has been taken by them. What should I do?” Wukong asked, “Do you know where it is kept?” Bajie said, “It was taken into the palace by that monster.” Wukong said, “You go first and wait under the archway.” Bajie slipped out quietly. Wukong crawled back into the palace and saw a glint of light on the left. It was Bajie’s rake, shining. Using his invisibility technique, he stole the rake and went to the archway, shouting, “Bajie! Take your weapon!”
The fool took his rake and said, “Brother, you go first. Let me charge into the palace. If I win, I will capture the entire family; if I cannot win, I will escape, and you can support me from the shore of the pool.” Wukong was delighted and told him to be careful. Bajie said, “Do not worry! I still have some skill in water combat.” Wukong did not wait for him and leaped out of the water himself. Of this, we shall say no more for now.
Bajie tightened his black cloth robe, raised his rake with both hands, and charged in with a great shout. The water spirits, large and small, rushed into the palace in panic, shouting, “Disaster! The long-snouted monk has broken his chains and is attacking!” The old dragon king and the nine-headed worm’s entire family were caught off guard. They leaped up in terror, hiding and dodging. The fool, reckless of life or death, burst into the palace. He smashed the doors with his rake, shattered the tables and chairs, and smashed all the drinking vessels to pieces. There is a poem to prove it: The Wood Mother encountered the water monster and was captured; the Mind-Ape, unwilling to give up, searched bitterly. He secretly used a clever trick to open the locks, then displayed his divine power with deep fury. The prince consort hurriedly hid with the princess; the dragon king trembled, his voice gone. The vermilion palace and crimson halls had their doors and windows damaged; the dragon sons and grandsons all lost their souls.
In this commotion, Bajie smashed the tortoiseshell screen to pieces and scattered the coral trees. The nine-headed worm hid the princess well, then quickly took his crescent-moon spade and rushed to the front hall, shouting, “You stupid pig! How dare you bully my family!” Bajie cursed back, “You thieving fiend, you dared to capture me! This affair had nothing to do with me, but you invited me into your home to fight! Hand over the treasure quickly, so I can return to the king and complete my mission. Otherwise, I will not spare your entire family!”
The demon showed no mercy. Gritting his teeth, he fought with Bajie. Only then did the old dragon king regain his composure. He led his dragon sons and grandsons, each taking up weapons, to join the siege. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Bajie feigned a strike with his rake, turned, and fled. The old dragon king led his men in pursuit. Soon, they burst out of the water and churned on the surface of the pool.
Meanwhile, Sun the Pilgrim stood on the shore waiting. Seeing them pursuing Bajie out of the water, he stepped onto his clouds, drew his iron staff, and shouted, “Do not run!” With a single blow, he smashed the old dragon king’s head into a pulp. Pitifully, fresh blood splashed into the pool, dyeing the water red; the corpse floated on the waves, its scales scattered everywhere! The dragon sons and grandsons fled in terror, each trying to save his own life. The nine-headed prince consort dragged the old dragon king’s corpse back to the palace.
Wukong and Bajie did not pursue. They returned to the shore and recounted what had happened. Bajie said, “The monster’s spirit has been broken! I charged in with my rake just now, beating them until they were utterly routed and their souls had fled! I was fighting with the prince consort when the old dragon king gave chase. Thanks to you, you killed the old dragon. They will surely hold a funeral now and will never come out again. It is getting late. What should we do?” Wukong said, “What does it matter if it is late? Take advantage of this opportunity. Go down again and fight. We must retrieve the treasure before we can return to court.”
The fool had lost his drive and began to make excuses. Wukong urged him, “Brother, do not be suspicious. Do as before and lure them out, and I will strike.” As the two were discussing, they suddenly heard a fierce wind rolling and a thick mist settling. A wind was blowing from the east toward the south. Wukong looked closely and saw that it was Erlang Shen with his six sworn brothers from Meishan, flying hawks and hounds, carrying foxes and hares, and bearing roebuck and deer. Each had a bow and arrows at his waist and weapons in hand, riding the clouds as they approached.
Wukong said, “Bajie, those are my seven sworn brothers. It would be perfect to ask them for help. If we can, this is a great opportunity!” Bajie said, “Since they are sworn brothers, you should invite them.” Wukong said, “But Erlang Shen, my elder brother, is among them. I was once subdued by him and am ashamed to face him. You go and stop the clouds, shout, ‘True Lord, halt! The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, is here to pay his respects.’ When he hears it is me, he will surely stop. Once he stops, I will go to see him.”
Bajie quickly mounted his cloud, flew up the mountain, and blocked Erlang Shen’s path. He shouted loudly, “True Lord, halt for a moment! The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, invites you!” When Erlang Shen heard this, he immediately ordered his six brothers to stop. After exchanging greetings with Bajie, he asked, “Where is the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven?” Bajie said, “He is waiting at the foot of the mountain.” Erlang Shen said, “Brothers, go quickly and invite him up.”
The six brothers were Kang, Zhang, Yao, Li, Guo, and Zhi. Each stepped out of the ranks and shouted, “Brother Sun Wukong, our elder brother invites you!” Wukong stepped forward and bowed to all of them, then went up the mountain together. Erlang Shen came forward, extended his hand, and clasped Wukong’s arm. Meeting him, he said, “Great Sage, you have escaped from great tribulation and taken refuge in the Buddhist faith. Soon you will achieve the fruit of righteousness and ascend to the lotus throne. Truly, this is a cause for celebration!”
Wukong said, “I dare not accept such praise. I have long been indebted to your great kindness and have never had the chance to repay it. Though I have now escaped my ordeal and am traveling west, I do not yet know if I will achieve the true fruit. On our journey, we passed through Festival Kingdom and wished to help the monks there dispel their calamity. We are here capturing demons and demanding the treasure. By chance, I saw your retinue and took the liberty of asking you to stay and help. May I ask where you have come from and if you would be willing to grant me this favor?”
Erlang Shen laughed and said, “I happened to be free and was returning from a hunt with my brothers. Thanks to the Great Sage not disdaining to invite us, I remember this old friendship. If you need help subduing demons, how could I refuse? I only wonder what kind of demon is causing trouble here?” The six brothers said, “Elder brother, have you forgotten? This is Chaos Stone Mountain, and below it is the Azure Wave Pool, the dragon palace of the Ten Thousand Saints Dragon King.”
Erlang Shen said in surprise, “The Ten Thousand Saints Old Dragon never used to cause trouble. How dare he steal the pagoda treasure?” Wukong said, “He recently took on a son-in-law, a nine-headed worm that had become a spirit. This father-in-law and son-in-law worked together as thieves, causing a rain of blood over Festival Kingdom and stealing the Buddhist relic from the top of the Golden Light Monastery pagoda. The king did not understand the reason and had the monks tortured. My master, out of compassion, went to sweep the pagoda last night. On the pagoda, I captured two little demons sent by the dragon king to patrol. This morning, the little demons were brought before the court and confessed truthfully. The king then asked my master to subdue the demons, and my master sent us here.”
“In our first fight, the nine-headed worm extended a head from his waist and carried Bajie away. I changed my form, went into the water, and rescued Bajie. We fought again, and I killed the old dragon. The demons then gathered the corpse and went to hold a funeral. We were just discussing whether to challenge them again when I saw you approaching. That is why I have taken the liberty of asking for your help.”
Erlang Shen said, “Since we have already killed the old dragon, this is the perfect time to attack. We should not give them time to prepare. Let us wipe out their entire lair!” Bajie said, “That is all well and good, but it is almost night!” Erlang Shen said, “The art of war says, ‘Fight regardless of the hour.’ Why fear the dark?”
The four brothers Kang, Yao, Guo, and Zhi said, “Elder brother, do not be hasty. The demon’s family is all here and cannot escape. Brother Sun is a distinguished guest, and Brother Zhu has also achieved the true fruit. Our retinue has brought wine and food. Let our men light torches, and we will set up here. First, we will congratulate the two of you; second, we can also renew our old friendship. Let us enjoy ourselves for one night, and we can fight at dawn. There will be no delay.” Erlang Shen was overjoyed and said, “Brothers speak rightly!”
He ordered his men to prepare. Wukong said, “I dare not refuse your kind intentions, but I am a monk and must eat a vegetarian diet. I fear there may be a problem with meat and vegetables.” Erlang Shen said, “We have vegetarian fruits, and the wine is also vegetarian.” Under the starlight and moonlight, with heaven as their canopy and earth as their mat, the company raised their cups and spoke of old times.
Truly, “a lonely night seems long, but joyful hours pass swiftly.” Before they knew it, the east was growing light. Bajie had drunk a few cups of wine and was in high spirits. He said, “Dawn is near! Let Old Pig go down into the water and issue a challenge!” Erlang Shen said, “Marshal, be careful. Just lure the demon out, and we brothers will take care of the rest.” Bajie laughed and said, “I know! I know!”
He straightened his clothes, tightened his grip on his rake, used the water-parting technique, and leaped into the water. He went straight to the archway, gave a great shout, and charged into the palace. At that moment, the dragon son was wearing sackcloth and weeping over the old dragon king’s corpse. The dragon grandson and the prince consort were in the back, preparing the coffin. Bajie cursed as he charged forward. With one blow of his rake, he smashed the dragon son’s head, creating nine holes in his skull. The dragon mother and the other demons fled inside in terror, crying, “The long-snouted monk has killed my son again!”
Hearing the commotion, the prince consort took his crescent-moon spade and led the dragon grandson out to fight. Bajie raised his rake to meet them, retreating as he fought, and leaped out of the water. On the shore, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, and his seven brothers all rushed forward. With a flurry of swords and spears, they chopped the dragon grandson into a meat patty. Seeing the situation was dire, the prince consort rolled over before the mountain and revealed his true form again. He spread his wings and circled in the air.
Erlang Shen immediately took out his golden bow, fitted a silver pellet, drew the bow to its full extent, and shot upward. The demon hurriedly flapped his wings and flew toward Erlang Shen, trying to bite him. Just as he extended a head from his waist, the slender hound at Erlang Shen’s side leaped up. With a “woof,” it bit down on that head, tearing it off in a bloody gush. The demon endured the pain and fled, flying straight toward the Northern Sea.
Bajie wanted to give chase, but Wukong stopped him, saying, “Do not pursue him. As the saying goes, ‘Do not corner a desperate enemy.’ He has had a head bitten off by the hound and will most likely not survive. Let me change into his form. You part the waters and pretend to chase me in. Find the princess and trick her into handing over the treasure.” Erlang Shen and the six brothers said, “It is fine not to pursue him, but leaving such a monster in the world will surely harm future generations.” Even to this day, there is a saying about the “dripping blood of the nine-headed worm,” referring to its descendants.
Bajie did as Wukong said and parted the waters. Wukong transformed into the nine-headed worm and walked ahead, while Bajie followed behind, shouting and giving chase. Gradually, they reached the dragon palace. The Princess Ten Thousand Saints asked, “Prince consort, why are you in such a panic?” Wukong said, “That Bajie has won and chased me in. I cannot defeat him. Hide the treasure quickly!”
The princess did not recognize the impostor. She hurriedly took out a pure gold casket from the rear hall and handed it to Wukong, saying, “This is the Buddhist relic.” She then took out a white jade casket and handed it over, saying, “This is the nine-leaf magic fungus. You hide the treasure well, and I will go fight a few rounds with Zhu Bajie to hold him off. Once you have secured the treasure, come out and help me.”
Wukong put the two caskets away on his person, wiped his face, and returned to his original form. He said, “Princess, do you think I look like the prince consort?” The princess was horrified and reached out to snatch back the caskets. Bajie rushed forward and, from behind, struck her to the ground with his rake.
There was still an old dragon mother trying to flee, but Bajie caught her. Bajie raised his rake to strike, but Wukong said, “Wait! Do not kill her. Keep her alive so we can claim merit before the king.” So they dragged the dragon mother out of the water. Wukong carried the two caskets to the shore and said to Erlang Shen, “Thanks to your help, elder brother, we have obtained the treasure and cleansed the demons!” Erlang Shen said, “First, it is because the king is blessed; second, it is because you brothers have great divine power. I have done nothing of merit!”
The brothers said, “Brother Sun, since you have succeeded, we will take our leave.” Wukong was filled with gratitude and wanted to keep them to meet the king, but the others refused and led their retinue back to Guankou.
Wukong carried the caskets, and Bajie dragged the dragon mother. Riding on clouds, they soon arrived at Festival Kingdom. The monks of Golden Light Monastery, who had been released earlier, were all waiting outside the city to welcome them. Seeing the two descend from the clouds, they hurried forward, kowtowed, and escorted them into the city. The king was just speaking with Tang Sanzang in the hall when a monk who had returned to the city first took courage and entered the court to report, “Your Majesty, Lords Sun and Zhu have captured the demons and retrieved the treasure!”
When the king heard this, he quickly descended from the hall. Together with Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing, he stepped forward to thank them. He then ordered a feast to be prepared to express his gratitude. Tang Sanzang said, “There is no need to bestow wine yet. Let my disciples first return the treasure to the pagoda, and then we may drink.” Tang Sanzang then asked Wukong, “You left the capital yesterday. Why have you only returned today?” Wukong recounted in detail the fight with the prince consort, the killing of the old dragon, the encounter with Erlang Shen, the defeat of the demon, and the trick to obtain the treasure. Tang Sanzang, the king, and all the civil and military officials were overjoyed.
The king then asked, “Can the dragon mother speak human language?” Bajie said, “She is the wife of the dragon king and has given birth to so many dragon sons and grandsons. How could she not speak human language?” The king said, “Since she can speak, let her confess the details of the theft!” The dragon mother said, “I knew nothing about the theft of the Buddhist relic. It was all the doing of my husband, the Ten Thousand Saints Dragon King, and our son-in-law, the nine-headed worm. They knew that the light on the pagoda came from a Buddhist relic. Three years ago, they caused a rain of blood and stole it under cover of the chaos.”
The king then asked, “And how was the magic fungus stolen?” The dragon mother said, “It was my youngest daughter, the Princess Ten Thousand Saints, who secretly went to the Spirit Void Hall in the Great Heavenly Realm and stole the nine-leaf magic fungus from the Queen Mother of the West. That relic, nourished by the immortal energy of this fungus, will last for a thousand years without decay and shine for ten thousand years. Placed on the ground or in a field, a single sweep with it will release ten thousand rays of rosy light and a thousand beams of auspicious vapor. Now that the treasure has been taken by you, my husband is dead, my son is gone, my son-in-law has fled, and my daughter is also dead. I beg you to spare my life!”
Bajie said, “I will not spare you!” Wukong said, “She cannot be entirely blamed. I will spare your life, but you must guard the pagoda for us for a long time.” The dragon mother said, “A bad life is better than a good death. As long as you spare my life, I will do whatever you ask.” Wukong ordered someone to bring iron chains. The officer in charge immediately brought a chain and threaded it through the dragon mother’s collarbone. Wukong then said to Sha Wujing, “Invite the king to come with us to see the pagoda being restored.”
The king did not dare to stand on ceremony. He took Tang Sanzang by the hand and left the court, leading all the civil and military officials to Golden Light Monastery. They placed the relic back into the treasure vase on the thirteenth level of the pagoda and locked the dragon mother to the central pillar of the pagoda. Wukong recited a true spell and summoned the local spirits, the city god, and the guardian spirits of Golden Light Monastery. He ordered them to deliver food to the dragon mother once every three days. If there were the slightest mistake, he would kill them immediately. The spirits secretly agreed to watch over her carefully.
Wukong then used the magic fungus to sweep each of the thirteen levels of the pagoda, one by one. He then placed it back into the treasure vase to nourish the relic. Only then was the pagoda restored to its former glory, emitting ten thousand rays of rosy light and a thousand beams of auspicious vapor, visible from all eight directions and admired by all four kingdoms, just as before. Descending the pagoda, the king thanked them, saying, “If it were not for the Venerable Buddha and the three Bodhisattvas, how could this matter have been resolved!”
Wukong said, “Your Majesty, the name ‘Golden Light’ is not good. It is not a name that can last forever—gold is a substance that flows, and light is a vapor that flickers. I have expended much effort for you