This chapter speaks of karmic retribution , urging people toward goodness and warning against evil—for every thought, the gods can see it, no matter what you do. Neither clumsiness nor cleverness can achieve perfection; it is better to preserve your original heart . While you still live, hasten to cultivate the true path ; do not waste your days in vain. Recognize your roots, shed your mortal shell, seize the chance to seek eternal life , remain ever alert and comprehend the true essence, open the three gates and purify the heart's demons. A good person can naturally become an immortal or a Buddha, and when your heart is filled with compassion, you may ascend to the Pure Land .
Now, Tang Sanzang was utterly sincere in his devotion. Not only did heavenly spirits protect him, but even demons born from grasses and trees came to receive him. Though he had endured a night of turmoil, he had also escaped the entanglements of the thorny brambles. The four masters and disciples continued their journey westward. After traveling for a long time, the harsh winter passed, and it was now the beginning of spring: all things revived, the air was thick with spring's vitality, and the handle of the Northern Dipper pointed to the Yin position . The ground was covered with tender green sprouts, and the willow trees along the riverbanks had put forth new leaves. Peach blossoms on the hillside bloomed like a spread of red brocade, while mist over the creek floated like a curtain of azure silk. Several spring rains had moistened the earth, filling every heart with life. The sun shone, making the flowers even more vibrant; swallows flitted about, carrying moss and petals in their beaks. The mountain scenery was like a painting by Wang Wei , rich and subtle in its shades; the birdsong was as lively as the debates of Su Qin and Zhang Yi . The fragrant grasses and flowers lay like an embroidered carpet, yet no one was there to enjoy them; butterflies danced and bees sang, full of passion and meaning.
The four of them also savored the spring scenery as they rode slowly forward on their horse. As they went, they suddenly saw a towering mountain, which from afar seemed to touch the sky. Tang Sanzang raised his whip and said, "Wukong, I wonder how high that mountain is. It seems to reach the blue heavens and pierce through the clouds!" Wukong replied, "An old poem says, 'Only the sky is above; no other mountain can compare.' It merely describes a mountain so high that none can rival it—how could it truly touch the sky?" Bajie said, "If it can't touch the sky, then why is Mount Kunlun called the ' Pillar of Heaven '?" Wukong answered, "You don't understand! Since ancient times, it is said that 'the heavens are incomplete in the northwest.' Kunlun Mountain lies in the northwest, so it has the meaning of supporting heaven and earth, hence it is called the Pillar of Heaven." Sha Monk smiled and said, "Elder Brother, don't bother explaining these principles to him. He'll only go and confuse others with them. Let us press on; when we climb that mountain, we will know how high it is."
Bajie chased after Sha Monk, playfully scuffling with him. Tang Sanzang rode his horse swiftly, and before long, they reached the foot of the mountain. They ascended step by step, and this is what the mountain was like: the wind rustled through the forests, and streams babbled in the ravines. Even crows and sparrows could not fly across it; even immortals found it difficult to traverse. A thousand cliffs and ten thousand ravines wound in countless twists and turns. Dust rolled in clouds, and no one came here; bizarrely shaped rocks were a sight to behold. In some places, the mist swayed like water; in others, the trees were dense and the birdsong abundant. Deer carried lingzhi mushrooms as they departed; monkeys plucked peaches and returned. Foxes and badgers leaped on the cliffs; deer and roe deer played on the ridges. Suddenly, the roar of a tiger was heard, chilling one's gall; leopards and gray wolves blocked the path ahead.
Tang Sanzang was terrified at the sight. But Sun Xingzhe , with his vast supernatural powers, simply raised his Golden-Banded Cudgel and let out a mighty roar, scaring away the wolves, snakes, tigers, and leopards. He then cleaved a path and led his master up the mountain. After crossing the ridge, they reached a flat area to the west. Suddenly, they saw auspicious clouds swirling and colorful mists flying, with a complex of towers, pavilions, and halls, and the faint sound of bells and chimes could be heard. Tang Sanzang said, "Disciples, look and see what place that is."
Wukong raised his head, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked carefully. The place was truly magnificent: precious towers and jeweled thrones, a famous monastery. The valley was vast, and the wind sighed; the environment was serene, and fragrant incense filled the air. Green pines, laden with rain, shaded the tall buildings; emerald bamboos, holding the mist, guarded the lecture hall. Radiant clouds drifted, as if a dragon palace had appeared; colorful lights fluttered, as if the Buddha's realm had expanded. Red railings and jade doors, painted beams and carved rafters. When the sutras were expounded, the fragrance filled the seats; when the Way was discussed, the moonlight shone upon the windows. Birds sang in the red trees; cranes drank from the rocky springs. Around the four sides, flowers bloomed in the Qiyuan Garden ; the three gates stood open, as bright as the city of Shravasti . The towers rose high, facing the peaks; the bells and chimes were slow and lingering. The windows were open, and a gentle breeze blew in; the curtains were rolled up, and the mist drifted hazily. The monks appeared at ease, free from worldly troubles. This was a true immortal realm, untouched by the red dust ; it was truly a fine place for spiritual cultivation.
After Wukong had finished his inspection, he replied, "Master, that place is indeed a monastery, but within its Zen light and auspicious energy, there lurks a murderous aura . It looks like the Thunder Monastery, but the path is wrong. When we get there, we must not enter recklessly, or we may fall into a deadly trap." Tang Sanzang said, "Since it has the appearance of the Thunder Monastery, could it not be Spirit Mountain? Do not delay my sincere devotion or ruin my purpose in coming here." Wukong said, "No! No! I have traveled the road to Spirit Mountain many times, and it is nothing like this!" Bajie said, "Even if it's not Spirit Mountain, there must be good people living there." Sha Monk said, "Don't be so suspicious. This path must pass by its gate. We'll know whether it's real or fake once we see it." Wukong said, "Wujing speaks rightly."
Tang Sanzang urged his horse forward and arrived at the mountain gate. When he saw the three large characters reading "Thunder Monastery," he was so frightened that he tumbled off his horse, fell to the ground, and cursed, "You mad monkey! You'll be the death of me! This is clearly the Thunder Monastery, and you tried to deceive me!" Wukong smiled apologetically and said, "Master, don't be angry. Look again—there are four characters on the gate. How is it that you only read three and then blame me?" Trembling, Tang Sanzang got up and looked again. Indeed, there were four characters: " Small Thunder Monastery ." Tang Sanzang said, "Even if it is the Small Thunder Monastery, there must be a Buddha inside. The sutras say there are three thousand Buddhas; surely they do not all reside in one place. For example, Guanyin is at the Southern Sea, Samantabhadra on Mount Emei , and Manjushri on Mount Wutai . This is probably the dojo of some Buddha. As the ancients said, 'Where there is a Buddha, there are sutras; no place is without treasures.' Let us enter." Wukong said, "We cannot enter! This place bodes ill. If something happens, don't blame me." Tang Sanzang said, "Even if there is no Buddha, there should be images of the Buddha. My heart is set on worshipping the Buddha—how could I blame you?" He immediately told Bajie to fetch his cassock and change his monk's hat, straighten his robes, and stride forward.
Just then, a voice shouted from within the mountain gate: "Tang Sanzang, you have come from the East to pay homage to the Buddha—why are you still so negligent?" As soon as Tang Sanzang heard this, he fell to his knees and kowtowed. Bajie and Sha Monk also knelt. Only Wukong remained standing, leading the horse and carrying the luggage behind them. They entered the second gate and saw the great hall of the Tathagata. Before the hall, below the jeweled platform, stood five hundred Arhats, three thousand Ksitigarbha Guardians, four Great Vajra Guardians, eight Bodhisattvas, as well as Bhikshunis, Upasakas, and countless holy monks and Taoist priests. Truly, fragrant flowers were resplendent, and auspicious energy swirled. Tang Sanzang, Bajie, and Sha Monk prostrated themselves at every step, bowing all the way to the platform before the altar. But Wukong refused to bow. Then a stern voice shouted from the lotus throne: "Sun Wukong, why do you not bow when you see the Tathagata?" Wukong looked closely and realized it was all a fake. He immediately dropped the horse and luggage, drew out his Golden-Banded Cudgel, and roared, "You demons, you have quite the nerve! How dare you impersonate the Buddha and defame the Tathagata's name! Don't run!" He swung his cudgel with both hands and struck.
Suddenly, with a sharp "clang" from midair, a pair of golden cymbals fell down, encasing Wukong from head to foot. Bajie and Sha Monk hastily raised their rake and staff to rescue him, but the Arhats, Ksitigarbha Guardians, holy monks, and Taoist priests swarmed around them. Caught off guard, both of them were seized. The demon also captured Tang Sanzang and bound the three of them tightly with ropes.
It turned out that the one pretending to be the Tathagata on the lotus throne was a demon king, and those Arhats and Bodhisattvas were all little demons in disguise. The demon king withdrew his Buddha-like appearance, reverted to his true form, and had Tang Sanzang and the other two carried to the rear and locked up. Wukong was trapped inside the golden cymbals. The demon king declared that after three days and nights, Wukong would be dissolved into pus and blood, and then Tang Sanzang and the others would be steamed alive in an iron cage for the demons to feast on. Truly: The blue-eyed monkey recognized truth from falsehood; when he saw the fake Buddha, he refused to kneel. Bajie and Sha Monk, blind and foolish, followed along, kowtowing and chattering. The demon, relying on his strength, bullied the good men, pretending to be a celestial being to deceive the crowd. With shallow cultivation and the demon's power so great, they walked the wrong path and suffered in vain.
The crowd of demons locked Tang Sanzang and the other two in the rear, tied the horse in the back courtyard, and also confiscated the cassock, monk's hat, and luggage, placing them under strict guard.
Meanwhile, Wukong was trapped inside the golden cymbals. It was pitch black, and he was drenched in sweat from the heat. He rammed left and right, but could not get out. Frantically, he struck wildly with his iron cudgel, but the golden cymbals did not budge an inch. At his wit's end, he recited a spell and made his body grow to a thousand or ten thousand feet tall, but the cymbals grew with him, leaving no gap at all. Then he recited another spell and shrank his body to the size of a mustard seed, but the cymbals shrank as well, still without any opening. He then blew a breath of immortal energy onto his iron cudgel and shouted "Change!" turning it into a flagpole to prop up the cymbals. He also plucked out two long hairs and turned them into plum-blossom drills. He drilled against the cudgel thousands of times, but it only made a buzzing sound and could not penetrate it.
Wukong grew desperate. He recited the spell "Om, Still the Dharma Realm, Qian Yuan Heng Li Zhen," summoning the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians, the Six Ding and Six Jia Spirits, and the Eighteen Guardian Deities. The gods stood outside the golden cymbals and said, "Great Sage, we have been protecting the master all along, never letting the demon harm him. Why have you called us here?" Wukong said, "That master of mine refuses to listen to advice. Even if he were killed, it would serve him right! But you must quickly find a way to lift these golden cymbals and let me out—it's dark and stifling hot in here, and I'm about to suffocate!" The gods indeed tried to lift the cymbals, but they seemed to be fused to the ground and would not budge. The Golden-Headed Ksitigarbha Guardian said, "Great Sage, I don't know what kind of treasure these golden cymbals are, but they fit together so tightly above and below. Our strength is too small; we cannot lift them." Wukong said, "I have used all kinds of divine powers inside, but I cannot move them either."
Upon hearing this, the Ksitigarbha Guardian instructed the Six Ding Spirits to protect Tang Sanzang, the Six Jia Spirits to watch over the golden cymbals, and the various Guardian Deities to patrol front and back. He himself mounted an auspicious cloud and rushed straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. Without waiting for an announcement, he went directly to the Hall of Universal Brilliance, knelt before the Jade Emperor, and said, "My Lord, your servant is a Ksitigarbha Guardian of the Five Regions. Now, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to fetch the sutras. They passed by a mountain where there was a Small Thunder Monastery. Tang Sanzang mistook it for Spirit Mountain and went in to pay homage. It turned out to be a trap set by demons. They have trapped the Great Sage inside golden cymbals, and he is on the verge of death. I have come especially to report this." The Jade Emperor immediately issued a decree: "Send the Twenty-Eight Constellations to rescue him."
The Twenty-Eight Constellations did not dare to delay. They followed the Ksitigarbha Guardian out of the Heavenly Gate and arrived at the Small Thunder Monastery, it was already the second watch of the night. The little demons, having been rewarded by the demon king for capturing Tang Sanzang, had all gone to sleep. The Twenty-Eight Constellations made no sound. They went to the outside of the golden cymbals and said, "Great Sage, we are the Twenty-Eight Constellations, sent by the Jade Emperor to rescue you!" Wukong was overjoyed. "Quickly, break the golden cymbals with your weapons, and I can get out!" The gods said, "We dare not strike—this is a treasure of pure gold. If we hit it, it will make a sound and alert the demons, making rescue even harder. We will use our weapons to pry it open. When you see a crack of light, come out quickly." Wukong said, "Excellent!"
The gods then set to work. Some used spears, some used swords, some used knives, and some used axes. They carried, lifted, pried, and wedged. They worked until the third watch, but the golden cymbals remained completely motionless, as if they were cast in place. Inside, Wukong looked around, rolled about, but could not see even a glimmer of light.
The Wooden Dragon Constellation said, "Great Sage, do not be anxious. This treasure must be able to change shape. Feel around inside for the seam where the two halves join. I will insert the tip of my horn into the crack. Then you can shrink yourself small and slip out along the seam." Wukong did as he was told, fumbling around inside. The Wooden Dragon Constellation shrank his body until his horn was as thin as a needle's point. He inserted it into the seam of the golden cymbals, straining with all his might until it went in. Then he enlarged his body and horn until the horn was as thick as a rice bowl. But the golden cymbals clung to the horn like flesh and skin, leaving not even the slightest gap.
Wukong, feeling the horn, shouted, "It's no use! There isn't a bit of looseness above or below! There's no other way—bear the pain and take me out!" The Great Sage turned his Golden-Banded Cudgel into a steel drill and bored a small hole in the tip of the Wooden Dragon's horn. He then shrank himself to the size of a mustard seed, crawled into the hole, crouched down, and shouted, "Pull your horn out! Quickly!" The Wooden Dragon Constellation exerted immense effort and finally pulled his horn out. Exhausted, he collapsed to the ground.
Wukong crawled out of the small hole in the horn's tip, reverted to his original form, drew out his iron cudgel, and struck the golden cymbals with a mighty "clang!" The cymbals shattered like a collapsing copper mountain or a bursting gold mine, breaking into a thousand pieces! The Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians were all startled. The little demons were also awakened by the noise. The old demon king, startled from his sleep, hastily dressed, beat the drum, and summoned the little demons to arm themselves. By this time, dawn was breaking. A horde of demons surged to the jeweled platform. When they saw Wukong and the constellations surrounding the shattered golden cymbals, they were greatly alarmed and quickly shouted, "Little ones! Close the front gate quickly! Don't let them escape!"
Hearing this, Wukong and the constellations mounted their clouds and leaped into the sky. The demon king gathered up the broken gold, arrayed his little demons outside the mountain gate, and was filled with rage. With no other option, he donned his armor, took up a short, soft wolf-tooth club, and came out of his camp, bellowing, "Sun Xingzhe! If you are a man, don't run! Come and fight me for three rounds!"
Wukong could not contain himself. He and the constellations descended from the clouds to see what this demon looked like: his hair was disheveled and wild, and he wore a thin, flat golden band on his head. His eyes were wide and round, with two yellow eyebrows standing straight up. He had a nose like a hanging gall bladder, with wide-flaring nostrils, and a square mouth with sharp, pointed teeth. He wore a suit of linked armor, tied with a belt of raw silk, and on his feet were a pair of black leather boots. In his hand, he held a wolf-tooth club. His appearance was like a beast, yet not quite a beast; like a man, yet not quite a man.
Wukong thrust his iron cudgel forward and shouted, "What demon are you, that you dare to impersonate the Buddha, occupy a mountain, and falsely set up a Small Thunder Monastery!" The demon king replied, "You monkey, you don't even know my name, and yet you dare to barge into my immortal mountain! This place is called Little Western Paradise. I have cultivated myself and achieved the true fruit, and Heaven has bestowed this precious hall upon me. I am called the Yellow-Browed Old Buddha. The people here do not know my true name, and they all call me the Yellow-Browed Great King, or Yellow-Browed Grandfather. I knew long ago that you were heading west and had some skill. That is why I set up this fake Buddha to lure your master inside. I wanted to make a wager with you—if you can defeat me, I will spare your master and disciples and let you achieve the true fruit. If you cannot, I will kill you all, and then I will go to see the Tathagata myself, fetch the sutras, and spread the Buddha's Dharma throughout the Central Lands." Wukong laughed and said, "Demon, stop your bragging! If you want to wager, then come up and take my cudgel!" The demon king grinned and blocked with his wolf-tooth club. A great battle began: The two cudgels were not the same; each had its own form and nature. One was a short, soft weapon of the Buddhist family; the other was hard and had once lain hidden in the deep sea. Both could change at will, and today they met to test their strength. The short, soft wolf-tooth club was decorated with intricate patterns; the hard, golden band was like a coiling dragon. It could be thick or thin—truly marvelous; it could be long or short—always handy. The monkey and the demon fought without hesitation. The monkey had been taught to subdue his mind-ape; the demon, defying heaven, pretended to be the Buddha. They were filled with fury, showing no mercy; fierce and ferocious, neither would yield. They spewed clouds that darkened the sun and the sky; they breathed out mist that hid the mountains and peaks. Cudgel met cudgel, neither giving ground; to save Tang Sanzang, they forgot life and death.
The two fought for fifty rounds without either gaining the upper hand. At the mountain gate, gongs and drums were beaten, and the little demons shouted and waved their flags. The Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians raised their weapons and, with a great shout, surrounded the demon king. The little demons outside the mountain gate were so terrified that they stopped beating their gongs and drums, their hands growing weak.
The old demon king, however, was not afraid in the least. With one hand, he used his wolf-tooth club to fend off the gods, while with the other hand, he untied an old white cloth bag from his waist. He threw it up into the air, and with a loud "whoosh," he sucked Sun the Great Sage, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians all into it. He slung the bag over his shoulder and turned to leave. The little demons all cheered in victory. The demon king ordered them to fetch several dozen hempen ropes. He untied the bag and had them bound one by one—all of them were tied so tightly that their bones ached and their muscles went numb, and their skin wrinkled. They were then thrown onto the ground in the rear. The demon king then ordered a feast and wine to be prepared. They drank from morning until night before dispersing, and the little demons each went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Wukong and the gods, still bound, suddenly heard someone crying. Listening carefully, they recognized Tang Sanzang's voice: "Wukong! I truly regret not listening to you then, and now I am suffering so much! You suffered inside the golden cymbals, and I am bound with hempen ropes, unknown to anyone! The four of us have fallen into calamity, and all our years of cultivation have come to nothing! How can we escape this sea of suffering and proceed smoothly to the West?"
When Wukong heard this, his heart ached for his master. "Although the master did not listen to me, he is now suffering greatly and still thinking of me. Since the demons are all asleep at this hour and no one is on guard, I must quickly free myself from these ropes and rescue everyone to escape alive."
The Great Sage used his art of bodily concealment to shrink his body, slipped out of the ropes, and went over to Tang Sanzang. He called out, "Master." Tang Sanzang recognized his voice and said, "How did you get here?" Wukong quietly recounted what had just happened. Tang Sanzang was overjoyed. "Disciple! Save me quickly! From now on, I will do whatever you say and will never be stubborn again!" Wukong first untied Tang Sanzang, then freed Bajie and Sha Monk, and finally untied the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians. He led the horse over and told them to go out first. But once outside, they discovered that the luggage was missing. Wukong went back to look for it. The Wooden Dragon Constellation said, "How can you value objects more than people! It is enough that you have saved the master. Why bother looking for the luggage?" Wukong replied, "People are certainly important, but the robe and alms bowl are even more so. The bundle contains the travel pass, the Brocade Kasaya, and the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl. These are all precious treasures of the Buddhist faith. How can we abandon them!" Bajie said, "Elder Brother, you go and look. We will wait for you on the road ahead." The constellations, clustering around Tang Sanzang, used their magic to whisk him out of the monastery and onto the main road to wait.
At the third watch, Wukong crept silently into the monastery. All the gates were tightly shut, layer upon layer. He climbed up to a high tower and saw that the windows were also closed. Afraid that pushing the window would make a noise, he recited a spell and transformed himself into a bat: His head was pointed like a mouse's, and his eyes were bright like one's too. In the twilight, he spread his wings; in the daytime, he hid in dark places. He concealed himself in the crevices of the tiles and caught mosquitoes for food. He loved the bright, clear moon the most and was most skilled at flying with the wind.
He slipped in through a gap in the rafters that was not fully sealed. Passing through door after door, he reached the central area and saw a light coming from beneath a window on the third floor. It was not the light of lamps, candles, or incense, nor was it the glow of rosy clouds or lightning. He flew over to look, and it was the bundle that was glowing. The demon had stripped Tang Sanzang of his cassock and carelessly stuffed it into the bundle. The cassock was a Buddhist treasure, adorned with Wish-Fulfilling Pearls, Mani Pearls, Red Agate, Purple Coral, Relics, and Night-Luminescent Pearls, and that is why it emitted light.
Wukong was overjoyed at the sight. He reverted to his original form, picked up the bundle, and slung it over his shoulder. But he did not secure it firmly, and it tumbled down onto the floorboards with a loud "crash." As luck would have it, the old demon king was sleeping downstairs. He was startled awake, jumped up, and shouted, "Someone! Someone!" The little demons all got up, lit lamps, and searched everywhere. Some shouted, "Tang Sanzang has escaped!" Others shouted, "Xingzhe and the others have all escaped!" The demon king quickly ordered, "Seize them! Tighten the guard on all the gates!" Fearing he would be caught again, Wukong abandoned the bundle, mounted his cloud somersault, and leaped out the window, fleeing.
The demon king searched high and low but could not find Tang Sanzang and the others. As dawn approached, he took up his club, led the little demons, and gave chase. When he saw the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians and other gods on the hillside, he let out a great shout, "Where do you think you're going! Here I am!" The Wooden Dragon Jupiter Constellation shouted, "Brothers! The demon is coming!" The Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Five Regions Ksitigarbha Guardians, the Guardian Deities, and also Bajie and Sha Monk—without Tang Sanzang and having lost the White Dragon Horse—raised their weapons and charged forward together. The demon king sneered coldly and blew his whistle. Four or five thousand little demons rushed forward, and a chaotic battle began on the western hillside: The demon was fierce and cruel, bullying the good men; the good men were gentle and found it hard to overcome the demon. They exhausted every means but could not escape; a hundred divine powers were not enough to win. The gods of the heavens came to help, and all the sages together fought the demon. Bajie held back, unable to use his full strength; Sha Monk remained steadfast, moving people's hearts. The chaotic battle shook heaven and earth; the demon set nets and spread snares. Over there, they waved flags and shouted; over here, they beat drums and clanged gongs. Spears and knives flashed with cold light; swords and halberds bristled with murderous energy. The little demons were fierce and brave, and even the divine soldiers could not prevail against them. Gloomy clouds hid the sun and moon; dismal mist shrouded the mountains and rivers. They fought bitterly, battle after battle, all because Tang Sanzang worshipped the Buddha.
The demon grew fiercer and braver, pressing forward with his little demons. Just as the battle was at a stalemate, Wukong let out a great shout, "Old Sun is here!" Bajie greeted him and asked, "Where is the luggage?" Wukong said, "I nearly lost my life, and you speak of luggage!" Sha Monk raised his staff and said, "Don't talk! Quickly, fight the demon!" The constellations and the Ksitigarbha Guardians were surrounded by the little demons. The demon king raised his club to strike the three of them. Wukong, Bajie, and Sha Monk abandoned their previous opponents, raised their rake and staff, and engaged him. The battle raged on, darkening heaven and earth, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.
They fought until the sun set and the moon rose. Seeing that it was getting late, the demon king blew his whistle to caution his little demons, then took out his cloth bag. Wukong saw it clearly and shouted, "It's bad! Run!" Without a thought for Bajie, Sha Monk, or the gods, he mounted his cloud somersault and leaped into the sky. The gods, Bajie, and Sha Monk did not know what was happening. The demon king threw his cloth bag into the air and sucked them all in. Only Wukong escaped.
The demon king withdrew his troops and returned to the monastery. He ordered the men to be bound with ropes. Tang Sanzang, Bajie, and Sha Monk were hung from the beams of the hall. The White Dragon Horse was tied up in the rear. The gods were locked in a cellar. The little demons carried out all his orders.
Wukong leaped into the sky and saved his life. Seeing the demon troops retreating, he knew that the others had been captured again. He descended from the clouds and sat on the peak of the eastern mountain. He gnashed his teeth in hatred for the demon and shed tears thinking of Tang Sanzang. He looked up to the sky and sighed deeply, "Master! What karma did you create in your past life that you encounter demons at every step in this one! So many trials and tribulations—what can be done!"
He sat alone, sighing for a long time, then calmed his mind and thought, "I don't know what kind of treasure that demon's cloth bag is, that it can hold so many people. Now, even the heavenly soldiers and generals have been captured. If I go to beg the Jade Emperor, I'm afraid he will blame me. I remember that in the north there is the True Martial Great Emperor, known as the Demon-Quelling Heavenly Lord. He now resides on Wudang Mountain in the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa. Perhaps I should go and invite him to save my master."
Truly: The immortal way was not yet completed, and disciples and companions were all scattered; the mind had no master, and the cultivation of the Five Elements was completely neglected. In the end, would Wukong succeed in inviting the True Martial Great Emperor? Listen to the explanation in the next chapter.