Now, those blacksmiths in the courtyard had been working hard for days and nights, and they all slept soundly. When they got up early the next morning to resume their forging, they found that the three divine weapons in the shed had vanished. Each of them stood frozen in shock, searching everywhere in panic. Just then, the three young princes came out of the palace to check on the progress. The blacksmiths quickly knelt and kowtowed: "Young masters, the three weapons of the divine masters have disappeared—we have no idea where they have gone!"
Hearing this, the young princes were terrified and their hearts raced. "Perhaps the masters put them away during the night," one said. They hurried to the Gauze Pavilion , where they saw the white horse still tethered under the eaves. Unable to contain themselves, they called out: "Master, are you still asleep?"
Sha Wujing replied: "We are awake." He opened the door to let the princes in. The princes did not see the weapons and asked frantically: "Have the masters put all their weapons away?"
The Pilgrim leaped up: "We have not put them away!"
The prince said: "The three weapons—last night, they all disappeared."
Zhu Bajie scrambled to his feet: "Is my rake still here?"
The young prince said: "When we came out just now, we saw everyone searching everywhere without finding them. We thought the masters had put them away, so we came to ask. The masters' treasures can shrink and grow ; perhaps you have hidden them on your persons to tease us."
The Pilgrim said: "We truly have not put them away. Let us all search together, quickly!"
Everyone ran to the shed in the courtyard and, sure enough, the weapons were nowhere to be seen. Zhu Bajie said: "It must be these blacksmiths who stole them! Hand them over at once! If you delay even a moment, I will beat every one of you to death! To death!"
The blacksmiths kowtowed in terror, tears streaming down their faces: " Grandfathers ! We worked hard for days and nights, and we fell asleep last night. When we woke up this morning, they were already gone. We are but common men—how could we possibly lift such divine treasures ? We beg you, Grandfathers, spare our lives! Spare our lives!"
The Pilgrim said nothing, but inwardly he blamed himself: "We were too careless. Since we had already seen the patterns , we should have kept them on our persons. How could we have left them lying here! Those treasures gave off dazzling rays of light—they must have alarmed some villain, who stole them last night."
Zhu Bajie did not believe this: "Brother, what are you saying! This place is so peaceful, not some desolate mountain wilderness. Where would a villain come from? It must be these greedy blacksmiths who saw our weapons glowing and knew they were treasures. They fled the prince's mansion during the night and called some people to carry and drag them away! Seize them and beat them! Beat them!" The blacksmiths could only kowtow and swear their innocence.
While they were arguing, the old prince came out. After learning the situation, his face turned pale with fright. He pondered for a long time and then said: "The divine masters' weapons are truly extraordinary—even a hundred men could not lift them. I have lived in this city for five generations, and without boasting, I have some reputation for virtue. The soldiers, civilians, and artisans in the city all fear my laws and would surely not dare to be greedy. Divine masters, please consider other possibilities."
The Pilgrim laughed: "There is no need to think further, nor to falsely accuse the blacksmiths. Let me ask you, Your Highness: are there any mountain forests or monsters around this prefectural city ?"
The prince said: "Divine master, your question is well put! North of the city there is a Panther-Head Mountain , and in that mountain there is a Tiger's Mouth Cave . Some say an immortal lives in the cave, others say it is inhabited by tigers and wolves, and still others say it is demons . I have not yet determined the truth."
The Pilgrim laughed: "No need to ask further. It must be some villain from that place who knew these were treasures and stole them last night." He then said to Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing: "You two stay here to protect the master and guard the city. I will go investigate." He also instructed the blacksmiths not to let the fire die out but to continue forging the weapons.
Thus the valiant Monkey King took his leave of Tang Sanzang. With a single whistle , he vanished from sight and quickly flew to Panther-Head Mountain. The distance from the prefectural city to the mountain was only thirty miles, and he arrived in the blink of an eye. Perched on a peak, he looked down and saw demonic aura swirling. Truly, this mountain was a sight to behold: The dragon's veins stretched long and deep, the terrain vast and imposing. Sharp peaks pierced the heavens like spears; steep ravines roared with rushing water. Before the mountain, immortal herbs carpeted the ground like brocade; behind the mountain, rare flowers adorned the slopes like embroidered silk. Lofty pines and ancient cypresses stood tall, alongside old trees and slender bamboos. Mountain crows and magpies flew about in noisy flocks; wild cranes and monkeys called and howled. Beneath the cliffs, pairs of deer wandered; before the sheer precipices, badgers and foxes frolicked in twos. The mountain rose and fell in long, sinuous ridges, its hidden veins coiling in ninefold curves. Its ridges touched the very borders of Yuhua Prefecture —a blessed place that would thrive for ten thousand ages.
As the Pilgrim was gazing at this scene, he suddenly heard voices from behind the mountain. Turning his head, he saw two wolf-headed monsters walking toward the northwest, chatting as they went. The Pilgrim thought: "These must be the mountain patrol demons. I will follow and listen to what they say."
He formed a hand seal and recited a spell, then shook his body and transformed into a butterfly . Spreading his delicate wings, he drifted lightly after them. The butterfly he became was truly exquisite: a pair of powder-white wings, two silvery antennae. Riding the wind, it flew swiftly; dancing in the sunlight, it moved with grace. It could skim across water and glide over walls with nimble skill; it delighted in stealing fragrance and playing among willow catkins. Its light body favored the scent of fresh flowers, its elegant form freely unfolding and folding in the breeze.
He flew above the monsters' heads, drifting and listening. Suddenly one monster called out: "Second Brother, our king has truly been blessed by fortune lately! The month before last, he captured a beauty in the cave and has been enjoying himself every day. And last night, he obtained three divine weapons—treasures beyond price! Tomorrow, he is going to hold a ' Rake Feast ' to celebrate, and we will all get some benefit!"
The other replied: "We will share in the good fortune too! We have twenty taels of silver here to buy pigs and sheep. Let us first go to the market town of Ganfang and drink a few jugs of wine. Then we can pad the accounts by two or three taels and buy ourselves some winter clothes. Wouldn't that be wonderful!" The two monsters laughed and chatted as they hurried along the main road.
When the Pilgrim heard about the "Rake Feast," his heart secretly rejoiced. He thought of killing them, but then reflected that this matter had nothing to do with them, and besides, he had not brought his weapon. He flew ahead, revealed his true form, and stood in the middle of the road. As the two monsters approached, the Pilgrim blew a magical breath at them and recited the spell "Om Hong Zha Li," using the immobilization technique . He froze the two wolf-headed spirits in place—their eyes wide open, unable to speak, standing stiff as boards. The Pilgrim pushed them over, searched them, and found twenty taels of silver. He also untied the pink-lacquered identification tablets hanging from their belts. One tablet read "Crafty and Odd," the other read "Odd and Crafty."
The Great Sage put away the silver and the tablets, then turned and flew back to Yuhua Prefecture. When he arrived at the prince's mansion, he told the whole story to the prince, Tang Sanzang, and the officials and artisans. Zhu Bajie laughed: "It must be that my old pig's treasure gave off such brilliant light that they bought pigs and sheep to hold a feast in celebration! But now, how are we going to get our weapons back?"
The Pilgrim said: "The three of us will go together. This silver was meant for buying pigs and sheep—give it to the blacksmiths as a reward. Then have His Highness find some pigs and sheep. Zhu Bajie, you transform into Crafty and Odd; I will transform into Odd and Crafty; Sha Wujing, you pretend to be the merchant selling the pigs and sheep. Once we enter the Tiger's Mouth Cave, we will seize the opportunity to take our weapons, beat the demons, and return."
Sha Wujing laughed: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Do not delay—let us go at once!" The old prince quickly ordered his men to buy seven or eight pigs and four or five sheep.
The three took their leave of the master and went outside the city to exercise their magical powers. Zhu Bajie asked: "Brother, I have never seen what Crafty and Odd looks like. How am I supposed to transform?"
The Pilgrim said: "I have immobilized those monsters, and they will not wake until this time tomorrow. I remember his appearance. Stand still, and I will teach you how to transform... like this... and like that... and you will match him perfectly." The Fool recited the spell, and the Pilgrim blew a breath of immortal vapor. In an instant, Zhu Bajie became the spitting image of Crafty and Odd, complete with the pink tablet hanging from his belt. The Pilgrim also transformed into Odd and Crafty, while Sha Wujing disguised himself as the merchant selling pigs and sheep. The three of them drove the animals toward Panther-Head Mountain.
They had not gone far when they entered a mountain hollow and encountered a small demon. His appearance was truly ferocious: his round, bulging eyes were as bright as lanterns; his thick, disheveled hair blazed like fire. He had a flat nose, a crooked mouth, and sharp, protruding fangs; his ears stuck out like fans, his forehead was narrow, and his face was covered in green pockmarks. He wore a light yellow robe and a pair of straw sandals, and his whole demeanor was that of a vicious fiend as he hurried along.
This small demon carried a colorful lacquered invitation box under his left arm. He called out to the three: "Odd and Crafty, so you have come! How many pigs and sheep did you buy?"
The Pilgrim laughed: "Are these not them?"
The small demon pointed at Sha Wujing and asked: "Who is this?"
The Pilgrim said: "He is the merchant who sold us the pigs and sheep. We still owe him a few taels of silver, so we are taking him back to the cave to get the money. Where are you going?"
The small demon said: "I am going to Bamboo-Node Mountain to invite the Great King, our grandfather, to come to tomorrow's feast."
The Pilgrim followed up: "How many guests have been invited in total?"
The small demon said: "The Great King, our grandfather, will sit at the head of the table. Counting our own mountain king and the various chieftains, there will be about forty or more."
Just then, Zhu Bajie shouted: "Hurry up! The pigs and sheep are about to scatter!"
The Pilgrim said: "You go and stop them. Let me have a look at the invitation." The small demon, thinking the Pilgrim was one of his own, opened the box and handed over the invitation. The Pilgrim unfolded it and read: "Tomorrow, we have prepared fine wine and dishes to celebrate the 'Rake Grand Feast.' We humbly invite you to come to our mountain for a gathering. Please do not refuse. With boundless gratitude! This is respectfully presented to our Grandfather, the Ninefold Spiritual Primordial Saint, the Venerable Lord." It was signed: "Your devoted descendant, Yellow Lion, bows a hundred times."
The Pilgrim finished reading and handed it back. The small demon put the invitation back in the box and headed off to the southeast.
Sha Wujing asked: "Brother, what did the invitation say?"
The Pilgrim said: "It was an invitation to celebrate the Rake Feast, signed 'Your devoted descendant, Yellow Lion, bows a hundred times,' inviting their grandfather, the Ninefold Spiritual Primordial Saint, the Venerable Lord."
Sha Wujing laughed: "Yellow Lion Spirit—he must be a golden-haired lion that became a demon. But what sort of creature is this Ninefold Spiritual Primordial Saint?"
When Zhu Bajie heard this, he laughed: "That is my dish!"
The Pilgrim asked: "How is it your dish?"
Zhu Bajie said: "As the old saying goes, 'A mangy sow always chases after the golden-haired lion.' So I know he is my merchandise!" The three of them joked and chatted as they drove the pigs and sheep along. Soon, they saw the entrance to the Tiger's Mouth Cave. Outside the cave: green mountains encircled the area on all sides, and a spiritual aura connected the very gates of the city. Verdant vines climbed up the steep cliffs; purple bauhinia flowers hung from the high precipices. The forest echoed with the songs of birds; before the cave, fragrant blossoms welcomed guests. It was not inferior to the legendary Peach Blossom Spring—truly a place fit for retreat from the world.
As they drew near the cave entrance, they saw a crowd of large and small demons playing beneath the flowering trees. Zhu Bajie drove the pigs and sheep forward with a loud "Heh, heh!" The demons all came out to welcome them, grabbing pigs and catching sheep, tying them all up. The demon king inside heard the commotion and came out with a dozen or so small demons. He asked: "So you have come? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?"
The Pilgrim said: "We bought eight pigs and seven sheep—fifteen animals in total. The pigs cost sixteen taels of silver, the sheep nine taels. We had received twenty taels earlier, so we still owe five taels. This is the merchant, who has come to collect the debt."
The demon king said: "Little ones, take five taels of silver and send him on his way!"
The Pilgrim said: "This merchant came for two reasons: first, to collect the money, and second, he would also like to see the grand feast."
The demon king flew into a rage: "You lazy, crafty good-for-nothing! You were sent to buy supplies, and now you are discussing feasts with outsiders!"
Zhu Bajie stepped forward and said: "Great King, you have obtained divine treasures, which are rare wonders of the world. What harm is there in letting him have a look?"
The demon king shouted: "You, Odd fellow, are also detestable! These treasures were stolen from the city of Yuhua Prefecture. If this merchant sees them and goes back to the prefecture to speak of them, and the prince comes to reclaim them, what will we do then?"
The Pilgrim said: "Great King, this merchant is from the market town of Ganfang, far from the prefectural city. He is not a city dweller and will not speak of it. Besides, he is hungry, and the two of us have not eaten either. There is wine and food ready at home. Why not give him a little something to eat before sending him off?"
As he spoke, a small demon brought five taels of silver and handed them to the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim gave the silver to Sha Wujing: "Merchant, take your silver. I will take you inside for a bite to eat."
Sha Wujing steeled his nerves and followed Zhu Bajie and the Pilgrim into the cave. When they reached the spacious hall on the second level, they saw a nine-toothed rake displayed on the central table, shining with dazzling light that pierced the eyes. Leaning against the eastern wall was the Golden-Banded Cudgel; against the western wall was the Demon-Subduing Staff. The demon king followed behind them and said: "Merchant, the bright object in the center is the rake. You may look at it, but once you leave, you must not speak of it to anyone." Sha Wujing nodded and thanked him.
Alas! This was truly a case of "when a treasure sees its master, it must be reclaimed." Zhu Bajie was always impulsive, and the sight of his rake made him forget all caution. He rushed over, snatched the rake into his hands, and immediately revealed his true form. With a flourish, he swung the rake at the demon's face. The Pilgrim and Sha Wujing also ran to the walls, seized their own weapons, and transformed back into their true selves. The three brothers attacked wildly, and the demon king hastily retreated to the rear, grabbing a Four-Brightness Spade with a long handle and a sharp blade. He rushed into the courtyard and parried the blows of the three weapons, shouting fiercely: "Who are you? How dare you disguise yourselves and trick me out of my treasures!"
The Pilgrim cursed: "You thieving demon! You do not even recognize your own grandfather, Sun Wukong! We are the disciples of the holy monk Tang Sanzang from the East, on our way to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. We stopped in Yuhua Prefecture to exchange our travel documents, and we were honored by the virtuous prince, who asked his three sons to become our disciples and learn martial arts. Our treasures were used as patterns for their weapons. We left our treasures in the courtyard, and you, you thieving demon, stole them in the night! And now you say we disguised ourselves to trick you! Do not run! Let you taste the power of our three weapons!"
The demon raised his spade and fought back. The battle surged from the courtyard to the front gate. Behold the fierce struggle between the three monks and the single demon: The Golden-Banded Cudgel whistled through the air like a gale; the Nine-Tooth Rake rolled like a storm of rain. The Demon-Subduing Staff rose, flooding the scene with rainbow light; the Four-Brightness Spade parried, summoning colorful clouds. It was like three immortals refining the elixir of life—sparks flew and flashed, startling both gods and ghosts. The Pilgrim displayed his vast powers and skill; the demon, by stealing the treasures, had shown his utter lack of propriety! Marshal Tianpeng, Zhu Bajie, revealed his divine might; General Sha Wujing proved his true bravery. The brothers, united in heart and plan, stirred up a battle within the Tiger's Mouth Cave. The demon, stubborn and fierce, resorted to every trick, but the four heroes gave no quarter. They fought from morning until the sun sank in the west, and the demon, his strength failing, could no longer hold his ground.
They fought for a long time on Panther-Head Mountain. The demon could not withstand the onslaught and, shouting "Watch my spade!" at Sha Wujing, he feigned a strike. Sha Wujing dodged to the side, and the demon seized the chance to flee, riding the wind toward the southeast. Zhu Bajie wanted to give chase, but the Pilgrim said: "Do not pursue him. From ancient times it has been said, 'Do not corner a fleeing enemy.' Let us first cut off his retreat." Zhu Bajie heeded this advice.
The three returned to the cave entrance and killed all the large and small demons, over a hundred in number. They had all been tigers, wolves, leopards, horses, deer, and goats that had become spirits. The Pilgrim used his magic to bring out all the valuables from the cave, the corpses of the slain demons, and the pigs and sheep they had driven there. Sha Wujing gathered dry wood and lit a fire; Zhu Bajie fanned the flames with his ears. In no time, the demon's cave was burned to ashes. Then they gathered up their spoils and returned to Yuhua Prefecture.
The city gates were still open, and the people had not yet gone to sleep. The old prince and his sons, along with Tang Sanzang, were waiting in the Gauze Pavilion. When they saw the Pilgrims throw down a courtyard full of dead demons, pigs, sheep, and valuables, they all shouted: "Masters, we have returned victorious!" The prince repeatedly expressed his thanks, and Tang Sanzang was filled with joy. The three young princes knelt and kowtowed. Sha Wujing helped them up and said: "Do not thank us. Come and look at these things."
The prince asked: "Where did all these things come from?"
The Pilgrim laughed: "Those tigers, wolves, leopards, horses, deer, and goats were all demons that had become spirits. After we seized our weapons, we fought our way out of the cave. The old demon was a golden-haired lion spirit. He wielded a Four-Brightness Spade and fought us from midday until dark, but he was defeated and fled toward the southeast. We did not pursue him. Instead, we swept his lair clean, killed the small demons, and searched out all these things to bring back."
The old prince was both happy and worried—happy that they had returned victorious, but worried that the demon might seek revenge in the future. The Pilgrim said: "Your Highness, set your mind at ease. I have already thought this through. I will certainly help you uproot the evil completely before we leave. I will leave no future trouble behind. When I went out at noon, I encountered a blue-faced little demon delivering an invitation. It said that tomorrow a Rake Feast would be celebrated, and the grandfather, the Ninefold Spiritual Primordial Saint, was invited. That demon, after his defeat, has certainly gone to his grandfather to ask for reinforcements. They will surely come for revenge tomorrow. When they do, we will finish them all off."
The old prince thanked him profusely and ordered the evening meal to be served. The master and his disciples ate and then went to rest. Of this, we will say no more.
Meanwhile, the demon indeed flew southeast to Bamboo-Node Mountain. In that mountain there was a cave called the Nine-Curve Coiling Cave, and the master of that cave, the Ninefold Spiritual Primordial Saint, was his grandfather. He traveled through the night and arrived at the cave entrance just before dawn. He knocked and entered. When the small demons saw him, they said: "Great King, last night a blue-faced little demon brought an invitation. Our master kept him here to stay until this morning, intending to go with him to your Rake Feast. Why have you come in person so early?"
The demon said: "Do not speak of it! The feast is off!"
As he spoke, the blue-faced little demon came out from the inner chambers: "Great King, why have you come? The Great King, our grandfather, had just risen and was preparing to go with me to your feast." The demon was flustered and could only wave his hands, unable to speak.
After a while, the old demon rose and called the younger one inside. The demon threw down his weapon, knelt, and kowtowed, unable to hold back his tears. The old demon said: "Worthy grandson, you sent an invitation yesterday, and I was about to set off this morning. Now you come in person, and you are weeping. Why?"
The demon kowtowed and said: "Grandson, the night before last, while admiring the moon, I saw a rainbow light shooting up to the heavens from the city of Yuhua Prefecture. I went to investigate and found three divine weapons glowing in the courtyard of the prince's mansion: a Nine-Tooth Inlaid Gold Rake, a staff, and a Golden-Banded Cudgel. I used my magic to steal them and planned to hold a 'Rake Grand Feast.' I sent my minions to buy pigs, sheep, and fruits to prepare the banquet, and I invited you, Grandfather, to come and enjoy the sight. Yesterday, after sending the blue-faced little demon with the invitation, I saw Crafty and Odd driving pigs and sheep, along with a merchant selling them who had come to collect the debt. That merchant insisted on seeing the feast. I was afraid he would speak of it, so I refused to let him see. Then he said he was hungry and wanted to eat, so I let him go to the back hall for a meal. But once inside, he saw the weapons and claimed they were his. The three of them each grabbed a weapon and revealed their true forms: one was a monkey-faced, thunder-beaked monk; one was a long-snouted, big-eared monk; and one was a monk with a sallow, gloomy face. Without any regard for right or wrong, they attacked. I quickly grabbed my Four-Brightness Spade and went out to fight them. I demanded to know who they were, daring to disguise themselves and trick me out of my treasures. They said they were the disciples of the Tang monk from the Great Tang of the East, on his way to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. They had stopped in Yuhua Prefecture to exchange their travel documents, and the prince had kept them there to teach martial arts. Their weapons had been used as patterns, and when they left them in the courtyard, I stole them. Thus, they had come for revenge. I do not know the names of those three monks, but their abilities are truly extraordinary. I, your grandson, could not defeat all three alone and was forced to flee to you, Grandfather. I beg you, Grandfather, to avenge me. Let this also be a sign of your love for your grandson!"
The old demon listened and thought for a moment, then laughed: "So it is them. Worthy grandson, you have provoked the wrong people!"
The demon asked: "Grandfather, do you know them?"
The old demon said: "The one with the long snout and big ears is Zhu Bajie; the one with the sallow, gloomy face is Sha Wujing. These two are manageable. But the monkey-faced, thunder-beaked one is Sun Wukong, the Pilgrim. His divine powers are vast beyond measure. Five hundred years ago, he caused great havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers could not capture him. He delights in making trouble for others. He is a master of searching mountains, overturning seas, smashing caves, and storming cities—a true calamity-bringer! How could you dare to provoke him? Very well, I will go with you. We will capture those monks and the prince of Yuhua Prefecture to vent your anger!" The demon quickly kowtowed and thanked him.
At that time, the old demon summoned his other grandsons—the Monkey Lion, the Snow Lion, the Suanni, the Baize, the Fuli, and the Tuánxiàng—each armed with sharp weapons. With the Yellow Lion Spirit leading the way, they all mounted a fierce wind and headed for Panther-Head Mountain. As soon as they arrived, they smelled smoke and heard wailing. Looking closely, they saw Crafty and Odd and Odd and Crafty weeping and calling for their "lord."
The demon stepped forward and shouted: "Are you the real Crafty and Odd, or imposters?"
The two demons knelt, tears streaming as they kowtowed: "How could we be imposters! At this time yesterday, we took the silver to buy pigs and sheep. When we reached the great gully west of the mountain, we encountered a monkey-faced, thunder-beaked monk. He spat on us, and our legs went weak, we could not speak, and we could not move. He pushed us over, searched us, took our silver, and untied our tablets. We fell into a daze and only now have awoken. When we returned home, we saw the fire still burning and the cave completely destroyed. We did not see our lord or any of the chieftains and minions. That is why we are weeping here. We have no idea how the fire started!"
Hearing this, the demon's tears flowed freely. He stamped his feet and roared: "I hate those bald donkeys! They are too vicious! They have burned my cave, my beauty is dead, my possessions and my entire household are gone! It infuriates me! It infuriates me!"
The old demon called the Monkey Lion to pull him aside and said: "Worthy grandson, now that things have come to this, anger is useless. First, restore your strength, and then we will go to the prefectural city to capture those monks!"
The demon could not stop weeping: "Grandfather! My mountain home was not built in a single day. Now that those bald donkeys have destroyed it all, what is the point of living!" He struggled to dash his head against a stone cliff, but the Snow Lion and the Monkey Lion held him back.
The group abandoned Panther-Head Mountain and all headed for Yuhua Prefecture. Soon, the wind howled and the mist billowed, drawing ever closer. The people outside the city, terrified, grabbed their families and, abandoning their property, fled into the city. Once inside, the city gates were hastily shut. Someone reported to the prince's mansion: "Disaster! Disaster!"
The prince and Tang Sanzang were eating breakfast in the Gauze Pavilion. When they heard the report of disaster, they quickly went out to ask what had happened. The people said: "A host of demons, stirring up flying sand and rolling stones, spewing clouds and spitting fog, are almost at the city walls!"
The old prince was greatly alarmed: "What is to be done?"
The Pilgrim laughed: "Set your minds at ease! These are the demons from the Tiger's Mouth Cave. After their defeat yesterday, they went to the southeast to seek reinforcements from the Ninefold Spiritual Primordial Saint. My brothers and I will go out to deal with them. Have the four city gates shut at once, and send men to guard the walls."
The prince immediately ordered the four gates shut and men posted to defend the city. He, his sons, and Tang Sanzang directed operations from the city wall, where banners blotted out the sky and cannon fire roared to the heavens. The Pilgrim and his two brothers mounted the clouds and mists and went out of the city to meet the enemy. Truly: Because they had carelessly left their treasures behind, they had drawn the demons together in a great host. Whether this battle would end in victory or defeat, listen to the next chapter for the explanation.