The story no longer tells in detail how the Eight Great Vajra Guardians escorted the holy monk back to the Eastern Lands. Instead, it turns to the scene beneath the second gate of the Thunderclap Monastery, where the Five Directional Guardians, the Four Duty Spirits, the Six Ding and Six Jia Generals, and the Temple Guardian Spirits all approached Bodhisattva Guanyin to report. "Disciples were previously sent by your holy decree to secretly protect the holy monk. Now that his merit is complete and the Bodhisattva has returned the golden decree to the Buddha, we beg permission to surrender our own decrees as well." The Bodhisattva was greatly pleased and said, "Permission granted, permission granted." Then she asked, "During their journey, how were the minds and conduct of the four pilgrims—Tang Sanzang and his disciples?" The spirits replied, "They were indeed devout and sincere in heart, though surely this does not escape the Bodhisattva's insight. But the sufferings Tang Sanzang endured are truly beyond counting. The calamities and ordeals he faced along the way have been recorded by your disciples. Here is the ledger of his tribulations." The Bodhisattva took the ledger and read it from beginning to end. Indeed: Ordered by decree to follow the path of refuge, the guardians carefully recorded the holy monk's countless trials. The first ordeal: Golden Cicada was banished from Heaven. The second: He nearly died at birth. The third: Cast into the river on the full moon. The fourth: Seeking his kin and avenging their wrongs. The fifth: Encountering a tiger outside the city. The sixth: Falling into a pit after leaving his companions. The seventh: On Double-Fork Ridge. The eighth: At Two Realms Mountain. The ninth: Exchanging horses at a steep ravine. The tenth: Losing his cassock. The eleventh: Nearly burned by fire at night. The twelfth: Subduing and converting Zhu Bajie. The thirteenth: Blocked by the Yellow Wind Monster. The fourteenth: Seeking help from Lingji Bodhisattva. The fifteenth: Struggling to cross the Flowing Sands River. The sixteenth: Gaining Sha Wujing as a disciple. The seventeenth: The Four Holy Ones revealed themselves. The eighteenth: Failing to recognize the ginseng fruit. The nineteenth: At Five-Village Temple. The twentieth: Banishing the Mind-Ape in anger. The twenty-first: Losing each other in the pine forest. The twenty-second: Delivering a letter to Precious Elephant Realm. The twenty-third: Being turned into a tiger in the Golden Bells Hall. The twenty-fourth: Meeting demons on Flat-Top Mountain. The twenty-fifth: The Great Sage crushed beneath a mountain. The twenty-sixth: Hanging high in a cave. The twenty-seventh: Stealing treasures and changing names. The twenty-eighth: Rescuing the king of Black Chicken Kingdom. The twenty-ninth: A demon taking the master's form. The thirtieth: Meeting a monster on Hao Mountain. The thirty-first: The wind snatching the holy monk away. The thirty-second: The Mind-Ape harmed. The thirty-third: Inviting a sage to subdue the demon. The thirty-fourth: Laboring in Chechi Kingdom. The thirty-fifth: A great gamble of victory and defeat. The thirty-sixth: Driving out Daoism and promoting Buddhism. The thirty-seventh: Encountering great floods on the road. The thirty-eighth: Falling into the Celestial River. The thirty-ninth: The fish basket revealing itself. The fortieth: Meeting a monster on Golden Mountain. The forty-first: Heavenly spirits hard to subdue. The forty-second: Asking the Buddha about the root cause. The forty-third: Drinking water that brought calamity. The forty-fourth: Being forced into marriage in the Women's Kingdom. The forty-fifth: Suffering in the Pipa Cave. The forty-sixth: Banishing the Mind-Ape once more. The forty-seventh: Recognizing the false macaque. The forty-eighth: The Flaming Mountain towering high. The forty-ninth: Seeking the palm-leaf fan. The fiftieth: Capturing the demon king. The fifty-first: Sweeping a pagoda at Festival Kingdom. The fifty-second: Retrieving a treasure to save a monk. The fifty-third: Meeting disaster at Little Thunderclap Monastery. The fifty-fourth: Heavenly spirits trapped in great difficulty. The fifty-fifth: Practicing medicine in Purple-Gold Kingdom. The fifty-sixth: Healing the sick and lame. The fifty-seventh: Subduing a demon and reclaiming a queen. The fifty-eighth: Lost in worldly desires. The fifty-ninth: Injured by the Thousand-Eyed Fiend. The sixtieth: Blocked by the Lion and Camel Range. The sixty-first: The demon appearing in three forms. The sixty-second: Meeting calamity within the city. The sixty-third: Inviting the Buddha to subdue the demon. The sixty-fourth: Rescuing children at Children-Snatching Kingdom. The sixty-fifth: Distinguishing the true from the false. The sixty-sixth: Praying for rain in Phoenix Immortal Prefecture. The sixty-seventh: Staying overnight in the monks' quarters alongside a she-demon. The sixty-eighth: Trapped in the Bottomless Cave. The sixty-ninth: Clearing the stinking persimmon valley. The seventieth: Bewitched by a leopard spirit. The seventy-first: Reciting poetry in the thorn forest. The seventy-second: Sinking into the Black River. The seventy-third: Difficulty traveling through Dharma-Destroying Kingdom. The seventy-fourth: Viewing lanterns on the night of the full moon. The seventy-fifth: Chasing and capturing rhinoceros spirits. The seventy-sixth: Losing their weapons. The seventy-seventh: The celebration of the iron rake. The seventy-eighth: Forced into marriage in Heavenly Kingdom. The seventy-ninth: Seizing silk to repay a kindness. The eightieth: Shedding the mortal womb at Cloud Crossing. The journey stretched one hundred and eight thousand miles, and the holy monk's ledger of ordeals was clear and complete.
After finishing the ledger, the Bodhisattva hastily sent word, saying, "In the Buddhist path, the rule is that ninefold trials bring full perfection. The holy monk has only endured eighty ordeals; one is still missing, and his journey cannot be considered complete." She immediately commanded a Guardian Spirit, "Catch up with the Eight Great Vajra Guardians and add another ordeal for them." The Guardian Spirit received the decree, mounted a cloud, and flew eastward. Within a day and a night, he caught up with the Eight Vajra Guardians. Leaning close to their ears, he whispered, "By the Bodhisattva's will, it must be done thus and so... You must obey the Bodhisattva's holy decree without delay." As soon as the Eight Great Vajra Guardians heard this, they pressed down the wind with a swoosh, causing Tang Sanzang and his four companions—along with the horse and scriptures—to tumble to the ground. Alas! Indeed: The ninefold path to perfection is a difficult journey; only steadfast resolve can open the spiritual gateway. One must endure bitter trials to drive back evil demons; only through disciplined practice can the true Dharma be restored. Do not think the sacred scriptures come easily; the holy monk has passed through countless hardships. Since ancient times, the secret truths of the Cantong Qi have been perfectly matched; if even a hair's breadth is off, the elixir will not form.
As soon as Sanzang's feet touched solid ground, his heart suddenly grew anxious. Zhu Bajie laughed heartily and said, "Good! Good! Good! Truly, haste makes waste." Sha Wujing said, "Good! Good! Good! We must have been traveling too fast, so they set us down here to rest." The Great Sage said, "As the saying goes, 'Sit ten days on the sandbar, and you'll travel nine sandbars in a single day.' There's no need for hurry." Sanzang said, "Stop your bickering, the three of you. Look around and tell me where we are." Sha Wujing turned his head and scanned the area, then said, "I know this place! I know this place! Master, listen to the sound of water." The Pilgrim said, "There's the sound of water. Could this be your hometown?" Bajie said, "His hometown is the Flowing Sands River." Sha Wujing said, "No, no. This is the Celestial River." Sanzang said, "Disciple, look carefully and see which bank of the river we are on." The Pilgrim leaped up, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked carefully. Descending, he said, "Master, this is the western bank of the Celestial River." Sanzang said, "I remember now! On the eastern bank there was once Chen Family Village. When we came here that year, thanks to you saving their children, they were deeply grateful and wanted to build a boat to send us across. Later, we were fortunate enough to be carried across by the great white turtle. I recall that the western bank was uninhabited. What are we to do now?" Zhu Bajie said, "They say mortals are full of tricks, but I never thought the Vajra Guardians before the Buddha would also cheat! They were sent by the Buddha's decree to escort us back to the Eastern Lands. How could they abandon us halfway? Now we are stuck, unable to advance or retreat. How are we to cross this river?" Sha Wujing said, "Second Brother, stop complaining. Our master has already attained the Way. He shed his mortal body at Cloud Crossing and will not sink this time. Let you and me and the eldest brother use our magic to carry the master across." The Pilgrim secretly smiled and said, "We cannot carry him across! We cannot carry him across!" Why did he say they could not carry him across? In truth, with his divine powers, even if he had to cross a thousand rivers, he could do so easily. But he knew in his heart that Tang Sanzang's ninefold ordeals were not yet complete, and this final trial was meant to happen. So he deliberately held back.
As the master and disciples talked, they walked slowly until they reached the water's edge. Suddenly, they heard someone call out, "Holy Monk Tang! Holy Monk Tang! Over here! Over here!" The four of them were startled. They looked up but saw no one and no boat—only a great white turtle poking its head out from the riverbank, calling, "Venerable Master, I have waited for you for several years. Have you finally returned?" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Old Turtle, I troubled you the year before last, and now we meet again." Sanzang, Bajie, and Wujing were all overjoyed. The Pilgrim said, "Old Turtle, if you truly wish to carry us across, come up onto the bank." The white turtle crawled onto the shore. The Pilgrim told the others to lead the horse onto its back. Bajie crouched behind the horse's tail, Tang Sanzang stood to the left of the horse's neck, and Sha Wujing stood to the right. The Pilgrim placed one foot on the turtle's neck and the other on its head, saying, "Old Turtle, steady now." The old turtle pushed off with its four legs and glided across the water as if it were solid ground, carrying the four masters and disciples, along with the horse—five beings in all—straight toward the eastern bank. Truly: The gate of the One True Dharma is profound and mysterious; all demons are vanquished, and one recognizes the human and the divine. The original face is now seen for the first time; the single essence is fully realized at last. Holding the proof of the Three Vehicles, one comes and goes freely; the elixir perfected through nine cycles allows one to move at will. Carrying the bundle and the flying staff, there is no need for further words; how fortunate to return to the origin and meet the old turtle.
The old turtle carried them, cleaving the waves and cutting through the water for most of the day. As dusk approached and the eastern bank drew near, the old turtle suddenly asked, "Venerable Master, the year before last, I entrusted you with a task: when you saw the Buddha in the Western Paradise, you were to ask him about my fate and how many years of life I had left. Did you ask?" It turned out that ever since the elder arrived at the Western Paradise, bathed at Jade True Temple, shed his mortal body at Cloud Crossing, and ascended to the Spirit Mountain, his mind had been solely focused on worshipping the Buddha and obtaining the scriptures. He had paid no attention to anything else and had completely forgotten to ask about the old turtle's lifespan. He had no answer to give, yet he dared not lie. So he remained silent for a long time. The old turtle knew at once that he had not asked. With a sudden shake of its body, it let out a great splash and sank into the water, flinging the four masters and disciples, along with the horse and scriptures, all into the river. Alas! Fortunately, Tang Sanzang had already shed his mortal body and attained the Way. If he had been as before, he would have sunk straight to the bottom. And fortunately, the white horse was a transformed dragon, Bajie and Wujing could swim, and the Pilgrim laughed as he displayed his great divine powers, lifting the master out of the water and onto the eastern bank. But the scripture bundles, their clothes, the saddle, and the reins were all soaked through.
As soon as the master and disciples had climbed ashore and begun to tidy themselves, a fierce wind suddenly arose. The sky darkened, thunder boomed, lightning flashed, and sand and stones flew through the air. Behold: A wind arose, shaking heaven and earth; a thunderclap resounded, trembling the mountains and rivers. A lightning bolt flashed, drilling through the clouds like a spark of fire; a dense fog spread, covering the entire land. The wind howled fiercely; the thunder roared violently. The lightning flickered like red silk; the mist obscured the stars and moon. The wind drove sand and dust into faces; the thunder startled the tigers and leopards into hiding; the lightning flashed, startling the birds into cries; the fog shrouded the trees until they vanished. The wind churned the Celestial River into surging waves; the thunder terrified the fish and dragons of the Celestial River; the lightning illuminated the Celestial River to its very depths; the fog covered the banks of the Celestial River in dark gloom. Such a wind! It toppled mountains, split rocks, and felled the pines and bamboos. Such thunder! It awakened hibernating creatures and harmed people with its mighty force. Such lightning! It streaked across the sky and lit up the wilderness like golden snakes. Such fog! It blanketed the heavens and obscured the nine layers of the sky.
Tang Sanzang hurriedly pressed down on the scripture bundles. Sha Wujing held down the scripture poles. Zhu Bajie grasped the white horse. The Pilgrim wielded his iron staff with both hands and stood guard beside them. It turned out that this wind, fog, thunder, and lightning were caused by dark spirits and evil phantoms, who sought to seize the true scriptures. The chaos raged through the night, only subsiding at dawn. The elder, wearing his wet clothes and trembling with fear, asked, "Wukong, what was all that about?" The Pilgrim said angrily, "Master, you do not understand the inside story. We protected you in retrieving these scriptures, a great achievement that seizes the creative power of heaven and earth. It is as enduring as the cosmos, as bright as the sun and moon. It can grant immortality and make the Dharma body imperishable. Because of this, heaven and earth cannot tolerate it, and gods and spirits are jealous of it. That is why they came to steal it in the dark. Fortunately, first, the scriptures were soaked by the water; second, your true Dharma body can suppress evil influences—the thunder could not shake you, the lightning could not bewilder you, the fog could not cover you. And with old Monkey wielding his iron staff and guarding with his divine inner power, by the time dawn came and the yang energy grew strong, they could not take them away." Only then did Sanzang, Bajie, and Wujing understand. Each gave thanks.
After a while, when the sun was high in the sky, they moved the scripture bundles to a high cliff, opened them, and laid them out to dry. To this day, the stone where they dried the scriptures still remains. They also spread their clothes and shoes on the cliff to dry. Some stood, some sat, some walked back and forth. Truly: The divine inner power rejoiced in the sun's warmth; the dark spirits dared not show their strength. Know that water subdued the true scriptures, yet they feared not wind, thunder, lightning, or fog. From then on, all was clear and peaceful, returning to true enlightenment; henceforth, all was safe and tranquil, heading toward the immortal realm. The stone where the scriptures were dried still bears their traces; for a thousand ages, no demon has dared approach this place.
The four of them inspected the scripture scrolls and laid each one out to dry. Before long, a few fishermen passed by the riverbank. Looking up, they recognized the group, and one of them called out, "Venerable Master, are you not the one who crossed the river the year before last to go to the Western Paradise for the scriptures?" Zhu Bajie said, "Yes, yes! Where are you from? How do you know us?" The fisherman replied, "We are from Chen Family Village." Bajie asked, "How far is Chen Family Village from here?" The fisherman said, "Cross this low-lying land and head south for twenty miles, and you'll be there." Bajie said, "Master, let's move the scriptures to Chen Family Village to dry! There will be a place to stay and food to eat. They can help us wash and mend our clothes. How wonderful that would be!" Sanzang said, "No need to go. Dry them here, then pack up and continue on our way back." Those fishermen crossed the low-lying land and happened to meet Chen Cheng. They called out, "Second Master, the master who helped you with the sacrifice for your child the year before last has returned!" Chen Cheng asked, "Where did you see them?" The fishermen pointed and said, "They are all on that rock, drying the scriptures." Chen Cheng immediately took a few tenant farmers, crossed the low-lying land, and hurried over. Seeing the four masters and disciples, he ran forward, knelt down, and said, "Venerable Sir, you have returned from obtaining the scriptures, your merit complete. Why not come to our home instead of toiling here? Please, I beg you, come to my house and sit." The Pilgrim said, "Wait until the scriptures are dry, then we will go with you." Chen Cheng asked, "How did the Venerable Sir's scriptures and clothes get wet?" Sanzang said, "The year before last, we were fortunate to have the white turtle carry us across to the western bank. This year, we relied on it again to carry us to the eastern bank. Just as we were nearing the shore, it asked me about the lifespan I had promised to inquire about from the Buddha the year before last. I had not asked, so it threw us into the water, and everything got wet." He then recounted the entire story in detail. Chen Cheng begged them repeatedly. Sanzang had no choice but to pack up the scrolls. Unexpectedly, a few scrolls of the Sutra of the Buddha's Past Lives had stuck to the stone. When they pulled them off, the ends of the scrolls tore. Thus, to this day, the Sutra of the Buddha's Past Lives remains incomplete, and the drying stone still bears traces of the writing. Sanzang said regretfully, "It is all our fault for being careless and not watching over them properly!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Do not blame yourself for this! Do not blame yourself for this! Heaven and earth themselves are not perfect. These scriptures were originally complete, but now that they are torn, it perfectly matches the profound truth of 'incompleteness.' How could human effort have changed it?"
The four masters and disciples packed up the scriptures and followed Chen Cheng to Chen Family Village. The news spread through the village: one told ten, ten told a hundred, a hundred told a thousand. Young and old alike came out to welcome them. When Chen Qing heard of their arrival, he immediately set up an incense table and welcomed them at his gate, ordering musicians to play drums and pipes. Soon, the master and disciples arrived. Chen Qing led his entire family out to bow and thank them for saving his daughter's life that year. Then he ordered tea and a vegetarian feast to be served. Ever since Sanzang had eaten the immortal delicacies of the Buddha and shed his mortal body to become a Buddha, he had long since lost his appetite for ordinary mortal food. The Chen brothers urged him repeatedly, and he reluctantly ate a little. The Great Sage Sun had never eaten food cooked with fire, and he said, "Enough." Sha Wujing also ate very little. Even Zhu Bajie was not as gluttonous as before and put down his bowl. The Pilgrim said, "Fool, why aren't you eating either?" Zhu Bajie said, "I don't know what's wrong. Suddenly, I have no appetite." So the feast was cleared away. Chen Cheng then asked about their journey to obtain the scriptures. Sanzang recounted everything in detail: how they first bathed at Jade True Temple, shed their mortal bodies at Cloud Crossing, arrived at the Thunderclap Monastery to pay homage to the Tathagata, attended the feast in the Jeweled Tower, received the scriptures in the Precious Pavilion, how Ananda and Kasyapa first demanded a bribe and gave them wordless scriptures, how they later appealed to the Buddha and received a full collection of scriptures, and the incidents of the white turtle throwing them into the water and the dark spirits trying to steal the scriptures. After finishing his account, he wanted to take his leave. But Chen Cheng, his brother, and their entire family absolutely refused to let them go. They said, "That year, thanks to the Venerable Sirs, you saved the lives of our children. We have nothing with which to repay you. We have already built a temple called the Temple of Life-Saving, dedicated to burning incense in your honor, and we have never ceased." They then called out the children who had been saved that year, Chen Guanbao and Yi Chengjin, to thank them. They also invited the four masters and disciples to visit the temple. Sanzang placed the scripture bundles in the main hall of the Chen family home and recited one scroll of the Sutra of Eternal Virtue for them. Later, when they arrived at the Temple of Life-Saving, they found that the Chen family had already set out another feast there. Before they could sit down, someone else came to invite them. Before they could lift their chopsticks, someone else came to invite them. The invitations came without end. Sanzang could not refuse, so he ate a little at each place. The temple was built with great neatness: The mountain gate was painted with fine red powder, all thanks to the donors' efforts. A single tower now stood tall; two rows of side halls had been raised anew. The vermilion lattice screens were inlaid with seven treasures, shimmering with divine light. Fragrant incense rose to the clouds; pure radiance filled the vast sky. A few tender cypress trees were still watered; several thousand tall pines had not yet grown into thickets. Lively water flowed before the temple, the Celestial River rolling in endless waves; a high cliff stood behind, its mountain veins connecting to the earth's dragon lines.
Sanzang finished his inspection and climbed up to the high tower. There, indeed, stood statues of the four of them. When Bajie saw them, he tugged at the Pilgrim and said, "Elder Brother, your statue looks just like you!" Sha Wujing said, "Second Brother, your statue looks even more like you! But the master's statue is a bit too handsome." Sanzang said, "It is fine! It is fine!" So they descended from the tower, only to find more feasts prepared in the front hall and the rear corridor, with people waiting to serve them. The Pilgrim asked, "What happened to the old temple of the Great King?" Chen Cheng and the others replied, "That temple was torn down long ago. Venerable Sir, ever since we built this temple, the harvest has been bountiful every year. This is all thanks to the blessings of the Venerable Sirs!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "This is a gift from Heaven. It has nothing to do with us! But after we leave today, I guarantee that the families in this village will have flourishing descendants, peaceful livestock, and favorable winds and rains year after year." The people hurriedly kowtowed and gave thanks. From all directions, countless families came to offer fruits and vegetarian feasts. Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "My fate is truly strange! Before, when I could eat, no one invited me one after another. Today, when I have no appetite, they invite me from every house." Even so, he still ate eight or nine plates of vegetarian food and twenty or thirty steamed buns before he felt full. When more people came to invite them, Sanzang said, "Your disciple has no great abilities, but I am deeply grateful for your kindness! Let us rest tonight, and we will eat again tomorrow morning." When it was late at night, Sanzang guarded the true scriptures and dared not leave them. He sat in meditation downstairs, keeping watch. Near the third watch, Sanzang quietly called out, "Wukong, the people here know that we have achieved our merit and attained the Way. Since ancient times, it has been said, 'True masters keep their powers hidden; those who show off are not truly enlightened.' I fear that if we stay too long, we may delay our great mission." The Pilgrim said, "Master is right. Let us take advantage of the deep night, when everyone is sound asleep, and slip away quietly." Zhu Bajie also woke up. Sha Wujing understood as well. Even the white horse grasped their intent. So the four of them rose, gently lifted the scripture scrolls onto the horse's saddle, shouldered their loads, and carried them out through the corridor. When they reached the mountain gate, they found it locked. The Pilgrim used his lock-opening technique to open the second gate and the main gate, then found the path leading eastward. Suddenly, they heard the Eight Great Vajra Guardians calling from midair, "Those who wish to leave, follow me!" The elder caught the scent of fragrant wind, and his body slowly rose into the air. Truly: The elixir perfected, one knows one's original face; the body healthy and at ease, one bows to the master. What happened when they met the Tang Emperor? Listen to the next chapter for the answer.