As the Great Sage Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie were about to use their magic to immobilize the women and commoners, a sudden gust of wind howled past them. Sha Wujing shouted in alarm. They spun around—and Tang Sanzang had vanished!
Wukong demanded, “Who took the master?”
Sha Wujing replied, “A woman! She conjured a whirlwind and swept him away!”
Without a second thought, Wukong whistled sharply and leaped onto his cloud. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he scanned the horizon. He spotted a cloud of dust and wind rolling northwestward. He turned and shouted, “Brothers! Mount your clouds and follow me—we must rescue the master!”
Bajie and Sha Wujing quickly tied their luggage to the white horse. With a whoosh, they too soared into the sky.
The rulers and citizens of the Western Liang Kingdom were terrified. They all fell to their knees, crying, “These are immortals taking flight in broad daylight! Your Majesty, do not be alarmed. The royal brother from Tang is a monk of great spiritual power. We were blind—we mistook a man from the Central Plains for an ordinary person and wasted our efforts. Please, Your Majesty, return to your carriage and go back to court!” The queen felt deeply humiliated, and her officials escorted her back to the city. We shall say no more of this for now.
Meanwhile, the three brothers, riding their clouds, chased the whirlwind. They pursued it until they reached a towering mountain, where the dust settled and the wind dissipated. The demon had vanished without a trace. They descended from their clouds and searched for a path. Suddenly, they saw a smooth, bright slab of bluestone standing like a screen. Leading the horse around it, they discovered a pair of stone gates, upon which six characters were carved: “ Pipa Cave of Poison Enemy Mountain .”
Without thinking, Bajie raised his rake to smash the gates. Wukong quickly stopped him. “Brother, hold on! We followed the wind all the way here, and after searching for so long, we finally found this gate. We don’t know what lies within. What if this isn’t the right place? We’d only anger the demon for nothing. You two take the horse and wait behind the stone screen. I’ll go in first to scout things out. If the master is inside, then we can strike.”
Sha Wujing was pleased. “Good! Good! Good! The senior brother is rough but meticulous—he never panics in a crisis.” He and Bajie led the horse back.
The Great Sage Sun Wukong unleashed his divine powers. He formed a hand seal and recited a spell. With a shake of his body, he transformed into a tiny honeybee —so light and delicate! Look at it: its wings were so thin they seemed to drift with the wind, and its waist was so slender it shimmered in the sunlight. Its sweet-tipped tongue had once sought out flower pistils, and its sharp tail was adept at toppling the toad. Though its skill in making honey was shallow, its manner in entering the hive was humble. Now, employing a clever trick, it flew gracefully over the gate and eaves.
Wukong slipped through a crack in the gate and flew past two layers of doors. Inside, he saw a female demon seated in the central pavilion. Beside her stood several maidservants in colorful dresses, their hair tied in double buns . They were all chatting and laughing, their faces bright with joy. Wukong gently landed on the lattice of the pavilion and listened carefully. Then he saw two young maids with hair in goat-horn buns carrying two steaming trays of food. They announced, “Mistress, we have meat-filled buns made with human flesh and vegetarian buns filled with sweet bean paste .”
The female demon smiled and said, “Little ones, bring out the royal brother from Tang.” Several maids in colorful dresses went to the back room and helped Tang Sanzang out. The master’s face was sallow, his lips were pale, and his red-rimmed eyes were streaming with tears. Wukong sighed in the shadows. “The master has been poisoned by this demoness !”
The female demon descended from the pavilion, stretched out her fingers as delicate as scallion shoots , and took the elder’s hand. “Royal brother, do not worry. This place may not be the palace of the Western Liang Kingdom, nor as rich or splendid, but it is peaceful and free—perfect for chanting sutras and meditating on the Buddha. Let me be your companion, and I guarantee you a lifetime of happiness.”
Tang Sanzang remained silent. The demoness continued, “Do not be troubled. I know you did not eat well at the banquet in the women’s kingdom. Here we have both meat and vegetarian buns. Eat a little to settle your stomach and calm your shock.”
Tang Sanzang thought to himself, “If I remain silent and refuse to eat, this demon is different from the queen. The queen was still human and followed the rules of propriety. This demon is a spirit—she might harm me! But my three disciples don’t know I’m trapped here. If the demon decides to kill me, wouldn’t I have died in vain?” He could think of no other way and forced himself to speak. “What is the meat filling, and what is the vegetarian filling?”
The demoness replied, “The meat is stuffed with human flesh, and the vegetarian is sweet bean paste.”
Tang Sanzang said, “This humble monk eats only vegetarian food.”
The demoness laughed. “Maids, pour a cup of hot tea for your elder master to go with his vegetarian buns.” One of the maids indeed brought a cup of fragrant tea and placed it before the elder. The demoness broke open a vegetarian bun and handed it to Tang Sanzang. Tang Sanzang, in turn, handed her an entire meat bun.
The demoness asked with a smile, “Royal brother, why didn’t you break this one open for me?”
Tang Sanzang pressed his palms together and said, “I am a monk; I dare not touch meat.”
The demoness retorted, “If you, a monk, dare not touch meat, then how did you dare to drink the water of the Mother-and-Child River a few days ago? And today, how do you dare to eat the bean paste buns?”
Tang Sanzang replied offhandedly, “When the current is swift, the boat moves fast; when the sand is deep, the horse walks slowly.”
Wukong, listening from the lattice, feared that his master’s heart might waver. He could not contain himself any longer. He revealed his true form, pulled out his golden-banded staff, and roared, “Demoness, how dare you be so rude!”
At the sight of him, the demoness spat a puff of smoke from her mouth, enveloping the pavilion. She shouted, “Little ones, drag the royal brother inside!” She herself grabbed a three-pronged steel trident, leaped out of the pavilion, and cursed, “You damned monkey, how dare you trespass into my home and spy on me! Don’t run—taste my trident!”
The Great Sage blocked her with his iron staff, fighting as he backed away, until they emerged from the cave.
Bajie and Sha Wujing were waiting behind the stone screen when they saw the fight erupt. Bajie quickly led the white horse to one side and said, “Sha Wujing, watch the luggage and the horse. I’m going to help the senior brother!” This fool raised his rake with both hands, charged forward, and shouted, “Brother, stand aside! Let me deal with this brazen woman!”
Seeing Bajie approach, the demoness unleashed another trick. With a whoosh, fire shot from her nose and smoke from her mouth. She shook her body, and her steel trident whirled as she charged forward. It seemed as though the demoness had countless hands, striking from all directions. Wukong and Bajie attacked her from both sides.
The demoness said, “Sun Wukong, you truly don’t know what’s good for you! I know you, but you don’t know me! Even the Tathāgata Buddha at your Thunderclap Monastery fears me by three parts! Do you two hairy brats think you can do anything to me? Come at me—let me show you my power!”
This battle was a grand spectacle. The demoness’s might was formidable, and the Monkey King’s spirit blazed. The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds sought glory, wildly swinging his rake to show off his skill. The one had many hands, a tight grip, and smoke swirling around her; the other two were hot-tempered, their weapons strong, and mist rose all around. The demoness fought only to win a mate; how could the male monk allow his primal essence to leak? Yin and Yang were mismatched as they clashed, each displaying their fierce talents in bitter struggle. The quiet Yin nurtured its strength, longing for action; the active Yang conserved its energy, cherishing purity. This caused discord between the two sides, as the trident, rake, and iron staff wagered on victory and defeat. This staff was powerful, and that rake even more so, as the demoness’s steel trident clashed with each blow. Before Poison Enemy Mountain, neither would yield; outside Pipa Cave, both were ruthless. The one was delighted at the prospect of sharing a bed with Tang Sanzang; these two were sworn to follow the elder to fetch the true scriptures. Their battle shook heaven and earth, and the sun and moon dimmed as the constellations shifted.
They fought for a long time with no clear victor. Suddenly, the demoness leaped into the air and unleashed her “Inverted Horse Poison Stinger,” catching Wukong off guard and stabbing him on the scalp. Wukong cried out in pain, unable to bear it. Clutching his head, he retreated in defeat. Seeing the situation turn dire, Bajie dragged his rake and fled as well. The demoness, victorious, collected her trident and returned to the cave.
Wukong held his head, his face twisted in agony. “Formidable! Too formidable!” he groaned.
Bajie came over and asked, “Brother, you were fighting so well. Why did you cry out in pain and run away?”
Wukong, still clutching his head, only moaned, “It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!”
Sha Wujing said, “Could it be that your old head ailment has flared up?”
Wukong jumped up and said, “No! No!”
Bajie asked, “Brother, I didn’t see you get wounded. Why does your head hurt?”
Wukong groaned, “Don’t even mention it! I was fighting her, and when she saw that I had broken her trident technique, she leaped into the air. I don’t know what weapon she used, but she stabbed me on the head. The pain was unbearable, and I had to retreat.”
Bajie laughed. “You always brag that your head has been tempered by cultivation. How can you not withstand even a single blow?”
Wukong replied, “That’s just it! This head of mine—ever since I achieved immortality, I’ve stolen and eaten the peaches of immortality, the imperial wine, and Lord Laozi’s golden elixir. When I caused havoc in Heaven, the Jade Emperor sent the Mighty Ghost King and the Twenty-Eight Constellations to escort me outside the Dipper and Bull Palace for execution. The gods tried to behead me with swords, cleavers, thunder, and fire. Later, Lord Laozi threw me into his Eight Trigrams Furnace and refined me for forty-nine days, and none of that harmed a single hair on my head! Today, I don’t know what weapon that woman used, but she actually managed to wound me!”
Sha Wujing said, “Let go of your hand and let me see. Is it broken?”
Wukong said, “No! No!”
Bajie said, “Let me go to the Western Liang Kingdom and get a medicinal plaster for you.”
Wukong said, “It’s not swollen, and it’s not broken. What use is a plaster?”
Bajie laughed again. “Brother, my pregnancy sickness hasn’t even cleared up yet, and now you’ve got a boil on your forehead!”
Sha Wujing said, “Second brother, stop joking. It’s almost dark now. Big brother has a headache, and we don’t know whether the master is alive or dead. What are we going to do?”
Wukong groaned. “The master is fine. When I went in as a bee, I flew inside and saw the woman sitting in the pavilion. After a while, two maids brought out two trays of buns: one with human flesh, the other with bean paste. Then two more maids helped the master out and urged him to eat the buns to calm his shock. They also wanted to pair him with the woman. At first, the master wouldn’t speak to her or eat the buns. But when the woman spoke sweetly, he somehow opened his mouth and said he wanted the vegetarian ones. The woman broke a vegetarian bun and handed it to him, and the master handed her a whole meat bun. She asked, ‘Why didn’t you break this one for me?’ The master said, ‘A monk dare not touch meat.’ The woman said, ‘If you dare not touch meat, then how did you dare to drink the water of the Mother-and-Child River a few days ago? And today, you dare to eat the bean paste buns?’ The master didn’t understand her meaning and answered offhandedly, ‘When the current is swift, the boat moves fast; when the sand is deep, the horse walks slowly.’ I heard this from the lattice and feared the master’s heart might waver, so I revealed my true form and struck at her with my staff. She also used her magic to spew smoke and shouted, ‘Drag the royal brother inside!’ Then she grabbed her steel trident and fought me all the way out of the cave.”
After hearing this, Sha Wujing bit his finger and said, “This brazen demoness must have been following us from somewhere. She even knows about these things!”
Bajie said, “So, we’re not going to get any rest tonight? Whether it’s dark or light, let’s go to her door and challenge her. We’ll keep her from sleeping, so she can’t toy with the master!”
Wukong said, “My head hurts. I can’t go.”
Sha Wujing said, “There’s no need to challenge her. First, the senior brother has a headache. Second, the master is a true monk—he won’t be tempted by beauty. Let’s just sit in a sheltered spot at the foot of the slope for the night, rest and regain our strength, and think of a plan when it’s light.”
So the three brothers tied the white horse securely, guarded the luggage, and rested at the foot of the slope. We shall say no more of this for now.
Meanwhile, the demoness suppressed her murderous intent and put on a happy face. She shouted, “Little ones, close both the front and back gates tightly!” She also assigned two maids to keep watch and report immediately if they heard any noise at the gate. Then she called out, “Maids, clean the bedchamber, light the candles, and burn incense. Invite the royal brother from Tang to come. I will become his wife.”
The maids helped the elder out from the back room. The demoness put on an extremely seductive air, took Tang Sanzang by the hand, and said, “As the saying goes, ‘Gold is not as precious as peace and joy.’ Why not become my husband and enjoy a life of pleasure?”
This elder clenched his teeth and remained silent. He wanted to refuse to go with her, but he feared she might harm him. Trembling with fear, he followed her into the bedchamber. He hung his head like a fool, not daring to look up. He didn’t even see the bed curtains, the chests, or the dressing mirror in the room. The demoness spoke flirtatious words, but he pretended not to hear them.
A good monk indeed! Truly, his eyes did not gaze upon wicked sights, and his ears did not listen to lewd sounds. He regarded this embroidered beauty as dung and filth, and this golden, jeweled loveliness as dust and ashes. His whole life, he had only loved to meditate on Zen, never straying a half-step from the Buddha’s path. How could he cherish jade and pity fragrance? He only knew how to cultivate his true nature and nourish his spirit.
The demoness was lively and brimming with spring passion. The elder was cold and rigid, his mind full of Zen principles. One was like soft jade and warm fragrance, a beautiful woman; the other was like dead ashes and withered wood, a monk. The demoness spread out the mandarin duck quilt, her lustful heart overflowing. The elder wrapped his coarse cotton robe tightly, his loyal heart steadfast. One wanted to press chest to chest and embrace waist to waist, to become a married couple; the other wanted to face the wall in meditation and emulate Bodhi dharma . The demoness shed her clothes, flaunting the fragrance and tenderness of her skin. Tang Sanzang pulled his robes tight, hiding his coarse body.
The demoness said, “My pillow and quilt are empty. Why won’t you lie down?”
Tang Sanzang said, “I am a shaven-headed monk in a robe. How can I sleep with you?”
The demoness said, “I am willing to be the Willow Green of the former dynasty.”
Tang Sanzang said, “This humble monk is not the Moon Acharya.”
The demoness said, “My beauty surpasses even Xi Shi’s.”
Tang Sanzang said, “It was because of Xi Shi that the King of Yue lost his kingdom.”
The demoness said, “Royal brother, haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Better to die beneath the flowers and be a romantic ghost’?”
Tang Sanzang said, “My true yang is a treasure. How could I willingly give it to you, a female demon…”
They went back and forth like this until midnight, but the elder Tang never let his worldly heart be moved. The demoness pulled at him and wouldn’t let go, but the master refused to yield. When she grew angry at midnight, she shouted, “Little ones, bring the rope!” Alas, she had her beloved tied up like a monkey. She then ordered him to be dragged to the corridor, blew out the silver lamp, and each of them went to their own rooms to sleep. Nothing more happened that night.
Unbeknownst to them, the rooster crowed three times. The Great Sage Sun Wukong sat up on the mountainside slope and said, “My headache has eased a little. Now it doesn’t hurt or feel numb—it’s just a little itchy.”
Bajie laughed and said, “If it’s itchy, why don’t you let her stab you again? How about that?”
Wukong spat at him. “Get out of here!”
Bajie laughed again. “Get out of here! Our master must have had a wonderful time last night!”
Sha Wujing said, “Stop bickering. It’s light out. Let’s hurry and catch the demon and rescue the master!”
Wukong said, “Brother, you stay here and watch the horse. Don’t move. Zhu Bajie, come with me.”
The fool roused his spirits, straightened his black cloth robe, and followed Wukong. Each of them grabbed their weapons, leaped up the cliff, and arrived at the stone screen.
Wukong said, “You wait here. I’m afraid the demon might have harmed the master during the night. I’ll go in first to scout things out. If the master has been seduced by her and lost his true yang, ruining his virtue, then we might as well disband. But if the master has not been moved and his Zen heart remains intact, then we’ll join forces and kill the demon, rescue the master, and continue westward.”
Bajie said, “You’re so foolish! As the saying goes, ‘Can a dried fish be a pillow for a cat?’ Even if it’s not like that, the cat will still scratch it a few times!”
Wukong said, “Don’t guess blindly. I’ll go and see.”
What a great sage! He circled back behind the stone screen, bid farewell to Bajie, and with a shake of his body, transformed into a tiny honeybee once more and flew into the cave. Inside the gate, he saw two maids sleeping soundly, their heads resting on night watchman’s clappers and bells. He flew to the pavilion to check, but the demoness had been active half the night and was exhausted. None of them had woken up; they were all still lying down. Wukong flew to the back and faintly heard Tang Sanzang’s voice. He looked up and saw the master tied up like a horse, with his hands and feet bound together, in the corridor.
Wukong gently landed on Tang Sanzang’s head and whispered, “Master.”
Tang Sanzang recognized the voice and quickly said, “Wukong, you’re here? Save me quickly!”
Wukong deliberately teased him. “Did you have a good time last night?”
Tang Sanzang clenched his teeth and said, “I would rather die than submit to her!”
Wukong said, “Yesterday, I thought she still had some affection for you. Why has she tied you up like this today?”
Tang Sanzang said, “She pestered me for half the night. I didn’t even take off my clothes or touch the bed. When she saw that I refused to yield, she tied me up here. You must rescue me so we can go fetch the scriptures!”
While they were speaking, they inadvertently woke the demoness. Although she had dealt harshly with Tang Sanzang, in her heart she was still reluctant to let him go. She turned over in bed and happened to hear the words “fetch the scriptures.” She immediately rolled out of bed and shouted, “Why would you want to fetch scriptures when you could be a happy married couple?”
Wukong was startled. He quickly abandoned his master, spread his wings, and flew out. He resumed his true form and called out, “Bajie!”
The fool came around to the stone screen and asked, “Did it work? Is the master all right?”
Wukong laughed and said, “No! No! The master refused to yield to her harassment, so she got angry and tied him up. I was just asking the master about the situation when the demoness woke up. I had to get out quickly.”
Bajie asked, “What did the master say?”
Wukong said, “The master said he didn’t take off his clothes all night and never even touched the bed.”
Bajie laughed. “Good! Good! Good! He’s still an upright monk! Let’s go rescue him!”
The fool was naturally crude. Without another word, he raised his rake and smashed it against the stone gate. With a great crash, the gate shattered into several pieces. The maids who had been sleeping with their heads on the clappers were terrified. They ran to the second gate and shouted, “Open up! The front gate has been broken down by those two ugly men from yesterday!”
The demoness had just stepped out of her room when four or five maids ran in and reported, “Mistress, those two ugly men from yesterday are back! They’ve broken down the front gate!”
Hearing this, the demoness quickly shouted, “Little ones! Boil some hot water for me to wash my face and do my hair!” She also shouted, “Carry the royal brother, ropes and all, to the back room and hide him well! Let me go fight them!”
The demoness emerged, brandishing her three-pronged steel trident, and cursed, “You damned monkey! You stupid pig! You have some nerve, smashing my gate!”
Bajie cursed back, “You fickle and wanton creature! You’ve trapped my master, and still you dare to talk back! Did you think you could trick my master into being your husband? Hand him over immediately, and I’ll spare your life! If you dare say another word of refusal, Old Pig will level this entire mountain with one swing of my rake!”
The demoness didn’t give him a chance to say more. She shook her body and unleashed her previous trick: fire shot from her nose, smoke from her mouth, and she thrust her steel trident at Bajie. Bajie dodged to the side and struck back with his rake. The Great Sage Sun Wukong also joined in with his iron staff. The demoness used her divine powers again. It seemed she had countless hands, blocking their attacks from all sides. After only a few exchanges, she stabbed Bajie on the lip with some unknown weapon. The fool dragged his rake, covered his mouth, and fled in agony. The Great Sage Sun Wukong, also a little afraid of her poison, deliberately dropped his staff and pretended to be defeated as he ran away. The demoness, victorious, ordered her little ones to seal the front gate with stones. We shall say no more of this for now.
Meanwhile, Sha Wujing was watching the horse at the foot of the slope when he suddenly heard Bajie groaning. He looked up and saw Bajie approaching with his hand over his mouth. Sha Wujing asked, “What’s wrong?”
The fool groaned, “Terrible! Terrible! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!”
Before he could finish, Wukong also arrived. He laughed and said, “Good fool! Yesterday you cursed me for having a headache, and today you’ve become the one with a swollen mouth and a plague!”
Bajie groaned, “I can’t bear it! The pain is too much! This demoness is too formidable!”
The three of them were at their wit’s end when they suddenly saw an old woman approaching from the southern mountain path, carrying a basket of vegetables in her left hand. Sha Wujing said, “Big brother, that old woman is coming. Let me go ask her what kind of demon this is and what weapon she uses that is so deadly.”
Wukong said, “Don’t move. Let Old Sun go and ask.” Wukong looked carefully and saw auspicious clouds above the old woman’s head and fragrant mist around her. He immediately recognized her and shouted, “Brothers, come quickly and kowtow! This old woman is a Bodhisattva in disguise!”
Bajie, enduring the pain, knelt down. Sha Wujing led the horse and bowed respectfully. The Great Sage Sun Wukong pressed his palms together and knelt, crying out, “Homage to the Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Merciful, Rescue from Suffering, All-Seeing Bodhisattva Guanyin!”
The Bodhisattva, seeing that they had recognized her, stepped onto her auspicious cloud and rose into the air, revealing her true form. She was the Fish-Basket Guanyin. Wukong flew into the sky and bowed, saying, “Bodhisattva, forgive your disciple for not coming to greet you! We have been doing our utmost to rescue the master, but we did not know you would come. Now that we are powerless against this demon, we beseech you to save us!”
The Bodhisattva said, “This demon is extremely formidable. Her three-pronged trident is actually her two naturally-born pincers. The thing that stings so painfully is the hook on her tail, called the ‘Inverted Horse Poison Stinger.’ She is originally a scorpion spirit. Once, when she was listening to the Buddha preach the scriptures at the Thunderclap Monastery, the Buddha saw her and, without meaning to, pushed her away with his hand. She turned around and stung him on the thumb of his left hand. Even the Buddha could not bear the pain and ordered the Vajra guardians to capture her, but she escaped and came here. To save Tang Sanzang, you must go and seek another immortal. I cannot even get close to her.”
Wukong bowed again and said, “Bodhisattva, please show me the way. Which immortal should I seek? Your disciple will go and invite him immediately!”
The Bodhisattva said, “Go to the Palace of Bright Light inside the Eastern Heavenly Gate and seek the Star Lord of the Sun. Only he can subdue this demon.” Having said this, she transformed into a beam of golden light and returned to the Southern Sea.
The Great Sage Sun Wukong descended from his cloud and said to Bajie and Sha Wujing, “Brothers, do not worry. The master can be saved.”
Sha Wujing asked, “Who is this savior?”
Wukong said, “The Bodhisattva just instructed me to go and invite the Star Lord of the Sun. Old Sun is off now.”
Bajie, covering his mouth, groaned, “Brother! While you’re at it, ask the Star Lord for some painkiller!”
Wukong laughed and said, “No need for medicine. Just like yesterday, it will be better by morning.”
Sha Wujing said, “Stop the chatter. Go quickly and return quickly.”
What a Wukong! He immediately mounted his somersault cloud and in an instant arrived at the Eastern Heavenly Gate. Suddenly, he saw the Heavenly King Virūḍhaka bowing to him. “Great Sage, where are you going?”
Wukong said, “I am protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to fetch the scriptures. We have encountered a demon on the road, and I need to go to the Palace of Bright Light to see the Star Lord of the Sun.”
He also saw the Four Great Marshals—Tao, Zhang, Xin, and Deng—who also asked where he was going. Wukong said, “I need to find the Star Lord of the Sun to subdue a demon and rescue my master.”
The Four Marshals said, “The Star Lord received a decree from the Jade Emperor this morning and went to inspect the Observatory of the Stars.”
Wukong asked, “Is that true?”
Heavenly Lord Xin said, “We just came down from the Dipper and Bull Palace with him. How dare we tell a falsehood?”
Heavenly Lord Tao said, “It’s been a while since he left. He might be back soon. Great Sage, why don’t you go to the Palace of Bright Light and wait? If he hasn’t returned, you can go to the Observatory to find him.”
The Great Sage was very pleased. He took his leave of them and arrived at the gate of the Palace of Bright Light. It was indeed empty. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a troop of soldiers approaching from behind. The Star Lord of the Sun had returned. The Star Lord was still wearing his court robes for his audience with the Jade Emperor, a garment embroidered with golden thread. Look at him: his crown was adorned with the Five Sacred Peaks, shimmering with golden light; his scepter was carved from jade, bearing the image of mountains and rivers. His robe was embroidered with the Seven Stars, and clouds gathered around him; his girdle was inlaid with the Eight Ultimates, and precious rings shone brightly. The tinkling of his jade pendants sounded like a rhythmic melody, and the rushing of the wind seemed like the shaking of bells. As he unfurled his kingfisher-feather fan, the Star Lord appeared, and heavenly fragrance wafted through the entire courtyard.
The soldiers at the front saw Wukong standing at the gate of the Palace of Bright Light and quickly turned back to report, “Your Lordship, the Great Sage Sun is here.”
The Star Lord dispersed his cloud, straightened his court robes, ordered his subordinates to stand aside, and stepped forward to bow. “Great Sage, is there some business for you here?”
Wukong said, “I have come specifically to trouble the Star Lord to save my master’s life.”
The Star Lord asked, “What trouble? And where?”
Wukong said, “At Pipa Cave on Poison Enemy Mountain in the Western Liang Kingdom.”
The Star Lord asked, “What demon is in that cave that requires my assistance?”
Wukong said, “The Bodhisattva Guanyin just appeared and said it is a scorpion spirit. She specifically recommended that only you, Star Lord, can subdue her. That is why I have come to invite you.”
The Star Lord said, “I was originally about to return to report to the Jade Emperor. But since the Great Sage has come, and the Bodhisattva has recommended me, I fear delaying matters would be a mistake. Little god will not offer you tea. I will go with you first to subdue the demon, and then return to report.”
The Great Sage was delighted. He followed the Star Lord out of the Eastern Heavenly Gate and all the way to the Western Liang Kingdom. When they saw Poison Enemy Mountain in the distance, Wukong pointed and said, “This is the mountain.”
The Star Lord descended from his cloud and went with Wukong to the foot of the slope before the stone screen. When Sha Wujing saw them, he said, “Second brother, get up. The senior brother has invited the Star Lord.”
The fool was still covering his mouth and said, “Forgive me! Forgive me! I am ill and cannot bow.”
The Star Lord said, “You are a cultivator. What illness could you have?”
Bajie said, “This morning, I fought with that demoness, and she stabbed me on the lip. It still hurts.”
The Star Lord said, “Come here. Let me treat you.”
The fool finally lowered his hand and groaned, “Please cure me! If you do, I will