Chapter 21: The Dharma Guardians Set Up a Homestead for the Great Sage; Lingji of Mount Sumeru Subdues the Wind Demon

A verse says:

Great Tang has decreed the mission in person,
and Xuanzang has gone out in solemn charge of Chan.
He hardens his heart and works at the dragon's cave;
he sets his mind and climbs the peak of self-cultivation.
Beyond the borders he will pass through many kingdoms;
before him, cloud and mountain rise in ten thousand layers.
From this day he leaves the rank of escort and goes west,
holding fast the teaching and awakening to the Great Void.

Now then: the fifty battered little monsters came stumbling back with flags broken and drums smashed, rushing into the cave to report, "Great King, Tiger Vanguard could not hold out against that hairy-faced monk and was driven down the eastern slope."

The old demon heard this and bristled with vexation. He lowered his head and said nothing, turning the matter over in his mind. Before long another little monster at the front gate came running up and said, "Great King, Tiger Vanguard has been killed by that hairy-faced monk, and he is dragging the body to the gate and shouting for battle."

The old demon was even more annoyed. "This brute knows nothing. I had not even eaten his master, and yet he has killed my vanguard. Shameful! Shameful!"

He called out, "Bring my armor. I have only heard people speak of this Sun Wukong. Let me go out and see what sort of monk he is, this nine-headed, eight-tailed fellow, and if I can catch him and bring him in, Tiger Vanguard can take his life in exchange."

The little monsters hurriedly brought out the armor. The old demon dressed himself from head to foot, gripped a three-pronged steel fork, and led the swarm of goblins out of the cave. The Great Sage stood outside the gate and saw the demon come out. He was truly fierce. Look at his dress:

Golden helmet flashing in the sun, golden armor gathering light.
The plume on his helmet streamed like a pheasant's tail; his loose robe over the armor was pale goose-yellow.
The armor cords wound like dragons, and the chest mirror flashed brilliantly all around.
Deer-skin boots were dyed with pagoda-wood color; his skirt was trimmed in willow-leaf down.
In his hand he held a sharp three-pronged steel fork, no less imposing than the Lord Who Manifested Divinity of old.

The old demon came out of the gate and shouted sharply, "Which one is Sun Wukong?"

The Pilgrim had the tiger fiend's hide bound about his feet and held the Ruyi Jingu Bang. He answered, "Your Sun-grandfather is here. Bring out my master."

The demon looked him over carefully and saw that he was coarse of build, gaunt in face, and under four feet tall. He laughed and said, "Pity, pity. I thought you were some kind of hero who could not be thrown down, and instead you are only a skeleton-faced sick man."

Wukong laughed. "You son of a bitch, you have no eye for men. Your grandfather may be small, but if you would only strike me on the head with that fork handle, I could grow to six feet."

The demon said, "Take this, then, if your head is hard enough."

The Great Sage did not flinch in the least. When the demon struck, he bent at the waist and grew six feet, becoming a full ten feet long. The old demon was alarmed and pressed his steel fork down, shouting, "Sun Wukong, why do you use that body-shifting trick right before my gate? No false tricks. Come on up and let us see each other's skill."

Wukong laughed. "Son, as the saying goes, 'If you mean to spare him, do not raise your hand; if you raise your hand, spare him no more.' Your grandfather's hand is heavy. I fear you cannot take this staff."

The demon would not listen to another word. He twisted his steel fork and jabbed straight at Wukong's chest. The Great Sage was one of those who understand the game and are never flustered. He moved aside the iron staff and used the "Black Dragon Sweeps the Ground" posture to knock the fork away, then struck at his head.

The two of them fought at the mouth of Yellow Wind Cave. It was a fierce slaughter:

The demon king was enraged; the Great Sage displayed his might.
The demon king raged because he wanted Wukong to repay Tiger Vanguard's life;
the Great Sage showed his power because he meant to seize the spirit and save his master.
Fork and staff crossed, staff and fork met.
One was the mountain-commanding general; the other, the Monkey King who guarded the Law.
At first they battled in the dust; then both rose into the middle of the field.
The steel fork gleamed with a pointed, sharp light;
the Ruyi staff was black-shafted with yellow bands.
What it pierced lost its soul to the netherworld; what it struck saw the Lord of Hades at once.
This depended only on swift hands and sharp eyes and a body of real strength.
The two of them forgot their lives and deaths and fought on.
No one knew which would leave in peace and which would come away wounded.

The old demon and the Great Sage fought for thirty rounds without victory on either side. Wukong wanted to show his skill, so he used the "body-within-the-body" art: he plucked off a handful of hairs, chewed them to powder in his mouth, and spat them skyward, crying, "Change!"

At once there were a hundred or so Wukongs, all dressed alike, each holding an iron staff, and they surrounded the demon in the air. The demon was frightened too. He turned quickly and, facing the windward corner, opened his mouth three times and breathed out in a single blast. Suddenly a yellow wind rose from the empty sky.

What wind! Truly fearsome:

Cold and shrilling, sky and earth changed color; yellow sand spun without form or shadow.
It tore through woods and broke ridges, casting down pines and plums;
it blew up dirt and dust, toppling banks and walls.
The Yellow River was whipped into muddy churn from the bottom; the Xiang River swelled and rolled in waves.
The blue vault of heaven shook the Palace of Dipper and Ox; it almost blew down the Hall of Yama.
Five hundred arhats shouted to the heavens; the Eight Vajra Kings all cried out together.
Manjushri lost the green-maned lion; Samantabhadra could not find the white elephant.
Xuanwu lost his turtles and snakes; the Zizhou mule was blown clear of its tack.
Merchants cried out to Heaven; boatmen prayed all manner of vows.
Life and fortune drifted like ships in smoke and spray; fame and the remnant of life went with the water.
Immortal mountains and cave mansions went black as pitch; the islands of Penglai dimmed to gloom.
Laozi could not tend the alchemy furnace; Shouxing gathered in his dragon-beard fan.
The Queen Mother was heading for the Peach Banquet when one wind blew her skirts and bracelets wild.
Erlang lost his way in Guanzhou City; Nezha could not draw the sword from its case.
The Heavenly King could not see the pagoda in his palm; Luban dropped his golden drill.
The jeweled gate of Thunderclap Temple collapsed three tiers; Zhaozhou Stone Bridge broke in two.
One red sun was shaken dark; all the stars in heaven went out of order.
Birds from South Mountain flew to North Mountain; the waters of East Lake spread toward West Lake.
Mated creatures were torn apart and could not call to one another; mothers and young were separated and could not answer.
Dragon Kings searched the seas for night demons; the Thunder Lord ran everywhere looking for lightning.
The ten kings of Hell looked for their judges; ox-head and horse-face chased one another through the netherworld.
That wind toppled Mount Putuo and rolled up a volume of the Guanyin Sutra.
White lotus flowers flew off the seashore; it blew down the twelve courts of the Bodhisattva.
Since Pangu first opened Heaven and Earth, no wind like this had been seen.
Hoo-roar! Heaven and Earth seemed about to burst; ten thousand li of rivers and mountains all shook.

The demon had loosed this wild wind, and the little Wukongs made from the Great Sage's hairs spun in the air like spindles. They could not even hold their staffs, much less steady themselves. Wukong was so alarmed that he shook his hairs and drew them all back to his body. Then he alone lifted the iron staff and went forward to strike.

But the demon spewed a mouthful of yellow wind into his face, and both fire-bright eyes were blown tight shut. He could not open them. For that reason he could not use the staff properly and was beaten back. The demon gathered the wind around him and retreated into the cave; we will leave him there for now.

Now then: when Zhu Bajie saw the yellow wind rise and sky and earth go dark, he held the horse and guarded the luggage, crouching in a hollow in the mountain. He did not dare open his eyes or lift his head. He kept reciting the Buddha's name and making vows, not knowing whether Wukong had won or lost, or whether Master had lived or died. While he was still in this uncertain state, the wind had already died and the sky had cleared. When he looked up toward the cave gate, he saw no weapons and heard no drums.

The fool did not dare go to the gate, and there was no one to watch the horse or luggage, so he was truly caught between advance and retreat, full of alarm and distress. While he was worrying, he heard Sun the Great Sage calling from the west. Only then did he sit up and greet him. "Brother, what a wind that was! Where have you come from?"

Wukong waved a hand. "Fierce, fierce! Old Sun has lived a lifetime and never seen such a wind. That old demon brought out a three-pronged steel fork to fight with me. After thirty-odd rounds, I used a body-within-the-body trick and surrounded him. He grew alarmed and so sent out this wind. It was truly vicious, blowing me so that I could not stand. I had to gather up my powers and flee before it. Hah, what a wind! Hah, what a wind! Old Sun can call wind and summon rain too, but never anything so vicious as this demon's wind."

Bajie said, "Senior Brother, how is that demon's skill?"

Wukong said, "It will do. His fork play is neat enough, and he can fight Old Sun to a draw. Only the wind is bad, and he is hard to beat."

Bajie said, "If that is so, how are we to save Master?"

Wukong said, "Saving Master can wait. First I need to find an eye doctor. Let him treat my eyes."

Bajie said, "What happened to your eyes?"

Wukong said, "That fiend blew a mouthful of wind at me and made my eyeballs ache. They keep running with cold tears."

Bajie said, "Brother, in these mountains and at this late hour, forget about an eye doctor. There is not even a place to sleep."

Wukong said, "A place to sleep is easy enough. I judge that the demon does not dare hurt Master yet. Let us find the main road and a household to take us in. We can stay one night and come back tomorrow in daylight to subdue the demon."

Bajie said, "Just so, just so."

He took the horse and the luggage and went out of the ravine onto the road. By then it was growing dusk. They heard dogs barking from the slope south of the road and saw a manor house with lamp-light glowing faintly within.

The two of them did not care whether there was a road or not and made their way through the wild grass until they reached the gate. There they saw:

Purple lingzhi thick and bright, white stones gray and old.
Purple lingzhi thick with green grass; white stones gray with patches of moss.
A few fireflies shone sparkling here and there; a grove of wild trees stood close-packed.
Fragrant orchids breathed richly, and young bamboo had recently been planted.
A clear spring wound through the ravine; ancient cypresses leaned against the deep cliff.
This was a remote place with few visitors, and only wild flowers grew by the gate.

The two of them did not dare walk in without permission, so they called out, "Open the door! Open the door!"

An old man came out with several young farmhands, each carrying a fork or broom. He asked, "Who is there? Who is there?"

Wukong bowed and said, "We are disciples of the holy monk from the Eastern Land of Great Tang. We are traveling west to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Passing through this mountain, we were seized by the Yellow Wind King, and our master has not yet been rescued. It is now late, so we have come to your honored house to ask shelter for one night. We beg you to be kind, very kind."

The old man returned the salute and said, "Forgive me for not meeting you sooner, forgive me for not meeting you sooner. This is a place with many clouds and few people. When I first heard the knocking, I feared it might be a fox spirit, a tiger, or some mountain robber, so my rude little household offended you. I had no idea you were two reverend masters. Please, come in, come in."

The brothers led the horse and luggage inside, went straight in, tied up the horse and set down the packs, and exchanged greetings with the manor lord before sitting down. A servant brought tea. After the tea, they brought out several bowls of sesame rice.

After the meal, the old man told them to make up beds and sleep. Wukong said, "Sleeping can wait. May I ask, good man, does your honorable place have eye medicine for sale?"

The old man asked, "Which reverend is it that has hurt his eyes?"

Wukong said, "I will not hide it from you, old sir. We monks are usually without illness and do not know what it is to have bad eyes."

The old man said, "If you have no bad eyes, why ask for medicine?"

Wukong said, "Today at Yellow Wind Cave, while trying to rescue my master, that fiend blew a mouthful of wind at me. It left my eyeballs aching, and now my eyes are watery, so I want eye medicine."

The old man said, "Excellent, excellent. Reverend sir, why tell such a lie, and at your age too? That Yellow Wind King has a wind of terrible power. It is not like spring and autumn wind, nor pine-and-bamboo wind, nor the east, west, south, and north winds."

Bajie said, "Then it must be a head wind, an ear wind, a leprosy wind, or a one-sided headache wind?"

The old man said, "No, no. It is called the samadhi divine wind."

Wukong said, "How do you know that?"

The old man said, "That wind can darken heaven and earth, and it slices ghosts and spirits to the bone. It can split stone and break cliffs. It is fierce enough to blow a man's life clean out of him. If you meet that wind, how could you hope to stay alive? Only an immortal can come through it unharmed."

Wukong said, "Just so, just so. We are not immortals, but immortals are still my juniors. My life is not yet due to end, only my eyes ache from the wind."

The old man said, "If that is so, then you are no ordinary man. My poor place has no eye medicine for sale. But this old man also suffers from tears that blow in with the wind. I once met a strange man who taught me a prescription called Three-Flower Nine-Seed Ointment. It can cure all kinds of wind-borne eye trouble."

When Wukong heard this, he bowed his head and said, "I beg you to let me have some and try it."

The old man agreed at once and went inside. He brought out a small agate jar, pulled out the stopper, dipped a jade hairpin into it, and dabbed a little on Wukong's eyes, telling him not to open them but to settle his heart and sleep. By morning he would be well. After applying it, he put the stone jar away and led the little servants back inside.

Bajie opened the bundles, spread out the bedding, and asked Wukong to lie down. Wukong kept his eyes shut and groped around blindly. Bajie laughed. "Master Monkey, where is your bright staff now?"

Wukong said, "You stinking fool, are you taking me for a blind man?"

The fool laughed soundlessly to himself and went to sleep. Wukong sat on the bed and turned his spiritual power, and only after the third watch did he finally lie down.

Before long it was again the fifth watch and nearly dawn. Wukong wiped his face, opened his eyes, and said, "Sure enough, good medicine. My sight is a hundred times brighter than before."

He turned and looked behind him. Ah! There were no houses or windows there at all, only some old locust trees and tall willows, and the brothers were all sleeping on the green grass mat under them.

Bajie woke and said, "Brother, what are you shouting for?"

Wukong said, "Open your eyes and look."

The fool sat up at once and saw that the house was gone. He sprang up in alarm. "Where is my horse?"

Wukong said, "Is that not the one tied to the tree?"

"Where are the luggage bundles?"

"Is that not what is laid beside your head?"

Bajie said, "That household was really low-down. If they were going to move away, why not call us? If Old Pig had known, I could have given them some tea and fruit. They must have been hiding from the neighbors, afraid the headman would know, and so moved away in the night. Ah! We slept too hard. How could we not hear them tear down the house and not hear a thing?"

Wukong laughed. "Fool, do not shout. What is that paper slip in the tree?"

Bajie went up and pulled it down. On it were written four lines:

This cottage is no common man's dwelling;
the Dharma guardians have transformed this house.
This marvelous medicine will cure your eye pain;
put all your heart into subduing the demon and do not hesitate.

Wukong said, "These divine helpers, after moving the dragon horse around, have not been marked with any stamps in a long while, and now they come again to put on a show."

Bajie said, "Brother, do not play the master. How did he come to submit to your marking?"

Wukong said, "Brother, you still do not know. These Dharma guardians, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Five Direction Revealing Spirits, and the Four Seasonal Officials all follow the Bodhisattva's orders and secretly protect my master.

Since the day they reported their names, because we have had you along for the journey, we have not used them again and so have not marked them. Brother, since they work from the Bodhisattva's orders and secretly protect Master, they cannot show themselves openly, and so they transformed the immortal homestead. Do not blame them. Yesterday they helped me with my eyes, and they also managed a vegetarian meal for us. They may be said to have done their duty with all their heart.

Do not blame them. Let us go rescue Master."

Wukong said, "Brother, you speak the truth. It is not far from here to Yellow Wind Cave. Do not move yet. Stay in the woods and keep watch over the horse and luggage. Let Old Sun go into the cave to inquire and see how Master fares before I come back and fight him."

Bajie said, "Just so. Let us get a true report of life or death. If Master is dead, then each of us can go look for our own business. If he is not dead, then we can still exert all our strength and heart."

Wukong said, "Do not ramble. I am off."

He leaped into the air and went straight to the gate. The gate was still shut and everyone was asleep. Wukong did not knock, nor did he wake the monsters. He made a seal with his fingers, recited a spell, shook himself, and turned into a tiny flower-patterned mosquito. It was truly small and clever. A poem says:

Tiny and restless, with a sharp little mouth;
humming softly, so thin it sounds like thunder.
It slips easily through orchid rooms and silk curtains,
loving the heat of summer.
It fears only the smoke from the incense burner and the sweep of the fan;
it is especially fond of lamplight.
Small and quick, it slips and darts with ease,
and flies into the demon's cave.

At the gate, a little monster was snoring. Wukong stung him on the face, and the little monster rolled over and woke. "My lord! A huge mosquito! It bit me and raised a great bump."

He opened his eyes and said, "Daylight is here."

Then he heard the inner gate creak open. Wukong buzzed his way in and heard the old demon ordering the guards at every gate to be careful and gathering the weapons all at once. "I am afraid the wind from yesterday did not kill Sun Wukong. He will certainly come back today, and when he does, we will make certain he never leaves alive."

Wukong heard this and flew over the main hall and straight to the back. There he saw a tall gate shut tight. He slipped through the crack in the door and found a great empty courtyard. There, on the Wind-Stilling Post, Tripitaka was tied with ropes.

The master monk shed tears in streams, thinking only of Wukong and Wuneng, not knowing where either of them had gone.

Wukong landed on his bald head and called, "Master."

Tripitaka knew his voice and said, "Wukong, do you mean to kill me? Where are you calling from?"

Wukong said, "Master, I am on your head. Do not fret. Do not distress yourself. We must seize the demon before we can save your life."

Tripitaka said, "Disciple, when will you be able to seize the demon?"

Wukong said, "The tiger fiend who took you has already been killed by Bajie. Only the old demon's wind is terrible. If all goes as I expect, today we will surely take him. Do not worry and do not cry. I am going."

He said it and flew to the front. There the old demon sat above, checking the little captains. A little monster by the cave gate came running in with a command flag and reported, "Great King, I was patrolling the mountain and had just left the gate when I saw a long-mouthed, big-eared monk sitting in the woods. If I had not run fast, he nearly caught me.

I did not see that hairy-faced monk from yesterday."

The old demon said, "Since Sun Wukong is not there, he must have been blown to death by the wind, or perhaps he has gone off somewhere to ask for aid."

The goblins said, "Great King, if the wind truly killed him, that is our good fortune. But if it did not kill him and he goes to ask for divine soldiers, what then?"

The old demon said, "What need have I to fear divine soldiers? If anyone can bring my wind to heel, only Bodhisattva Lingji can do it. The rest are not worth fearing."

Wukong heard this sentence from the beam overhead and was overjoyed. He flew away at once, showed his true form, and came back to the woods. He called, "Brother."

Bajie said, "Brother, where have you been? Just now a demon with a command flag came, and I drove him off."

Wukong laughed. "Well done, well done. Old Sun turned into a mosquito and went inside the cave to spy on Master. It turned out that Master was tied to the Wind-Stilling Post and crying there. It was I who told him not to cry.

Then I flew up to the beam and listened a little. Just then the one carrying the command flag went in breathless and reported, 'I was only driven off by you. I did not see me.' The old demon was guessing all sorts of things. He said that Old Sun had been blown to death by the wind, or else gone for aid. He himself gave away one man in particular, and that was excellent, excellent."

Bajie said, "Who did he give away?"

Wukong said, "He said that if anyone could calm his wind, only Bodhisattva Lingji could do it. But where does Lingji live?"

While they were still discussing it, an old gentleman stepped out from beside the road. You can see his appearance:

He was strong enough to walk without a cane, with frost-white whiskers and snow-white hair that billowed all around.
Golden flowers flashed before his eyes, making his thoughts seem half-clouded.
His thin bones and frail sinews still held firm;
his stooped back and lowered head moved slowly.
His eyebrows were broad, his face red as a child.
His looks were the sort men call human, yet he seemed like the old star of longevity coming out of a cave.

Bajie saw him and was delighted. "Senior Brother, as the saying goes, 'To know the road on the mountain, ask the traveler coming down from it.' Go ask him."

The Great Sage hid his staff, straightened his robe, went forward, and called, "Old gentleman, a greeting."

The old man half-returned the salute. "What monk are you, and what brings you to this lonely place?"

Wukong said, "We are scripture-seeking monks.

Yesterday we lost our master here, and I came specially to ask you: where does Bodhisattva Lingji live?"

The old man said, "Lingji lives due south. It is still three thousand li from here. There is a mountain there called Little Mount Sumeru. In that mountain there is a monastery, the Bodhisattva's preaching hall. Are you trying to seek scriptures from him?"

Wukong said, "I am not seeking his scriptures. I have a matter to trouble him with, and I do not know which road to take."

The old man pointed south with his hand and said, "This sheep-gut road is the way."

While he was tricking Sun the Great Sage into turning his head to look at the road, the old gentleman turned into a puff of clear wind and vanished without a trace. Only a slip of paper remained by the roadside, with four lines written on it:

Hear this, Great Sage Equal to Heaven:
the old man is Li Changgeng.
On Mount Sumeru there is a Flying-Dragon Staff;
Lingji in former years received the Buddha's weapon.

Wukong took the slip and turned back down the road. Bajie said, "Brother, our fortunes have been low these last few days. We are seeing ghosts in broad daylight. Who was that old man who turned into the wind?"

Wukong handed him the slip and read it aloud. "Who is Li Changgeng?"

Wukong said, "That is the name of the Gold Star of the West."

Bajie was so startled that he bowed toward the sky. "Benefactor, benefactor! If it had not been for the Gold Star's memorial to the Jade Emperor on Old Pig's behalf, I do not know what became of my life."

Wukong said, "Brother, you know how to remember kindness after all. Do not show your face. Just stay hidden in the deep woods and keep watch over the luggage and horse carefully.

I will go to Mount Sumeru and ask the Bodhisattva for help."

Bajie said, "I know, I know. Go on quickly. Old Pig has learned the tortoise method. When it is time to pull in the head, I know how to pull it in."

The Great Sage leaped into the air and rode the somersault cloud straight south. He was indeed swift, for in the time it takes to nod one's head he passed three thousand li, and in the time it takes to twist one's waist he covered eight hundred more. In a moment he saw a high mountain with cloud and light halfway up its height, auspicious mists billowing all around. In the hollow of the mountain there was indeed a monastery. He could hear the bells and chimes sounding clear and far and see the incense smoke drifting in wisps.

The Great Sage went straight to the gate and saw a Daoist with prayer beads around his neck, reciting the Buddha's name. Wukong said, "A greeting to the Daoist."

The Daoist bowed in return and said, "From where does this lord come?"

Wukong said, "Is this the place where Bodhisattva Lingji preaches?"

The Daoist said, "This is indeed the place. What is your business?"

Wukong said, "Trouble yourself to pass along a message for me: 'I am the disciple of the imperial monk Tripitaka, younger brother of Great Tang, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong. Today I have a matter to discuss with the Bodhisattva.'"

The Daoist laughed. "You have too many words and too many titles. I cannot remember them all."

Wukong said, "Just say that Tang Monk's disciple Sun Wukong has come."

The Daoist followed his instructions and went in to report. At once the Bodhisattva put on his monk's robe and came out with incense in hand to welcome him. The Great Sage then stepped through the gate and looked around. He saw:

The whole hall glowed with brocade and splendor, and the whole room was solemn with authority.
The disciples all recited the Lotus Sutra, while the elder at the front tapped softly on a bronze chime.
Before the Buddha, all the offerings were immortal fruit and immortal flowers;
on the table were arranged only vegetarian dishes and plain food.
The brilliant lamps cast golden tongues of flame like rainbows;
rich incense sent up jade-colored smoke like drifting clouds.
When the preaching was done, the heart grew quiet and could enter meditation;
white clouds drifted piece by piece around the tops of the pines.
When wisdom's sword is held still, the demon's head is cut off;
when Prajnaparamita is well understood, all fellowship soars high.

The Bodhisattva straightened his robes and came out to receive him. Wukong mounted the hall and sat in the guest seat, then was served tea. Wukong said, "Tea is no trouble. But my master has fallen into danger at Yellow Wind Mountain, and I have come specially to beg the Bodhisattva to use your great power to subdue the demon and save him."

The Bodhisattva said, "I received the Tathagata's decree to keep watch over the Yellow Wind Demon here. The Tathagata gave me a Wind-Stilling Pill and a Flying-Dragon Staff. Back then I had caught him and spared his life, letting him go back to his mountain and forbidding him to keep killing and making evil. I did not know that today he would mean harm to your master. If he has gone against the order given him, that fault is mine."

The Bodhisattva wanted to keep Wukong there, set out a vegetarian meal, and talk things over, but Wukong begged off again and again. The Bodhisattva then took the Flying-Dragon Staff and went up on cloud together with the Great Sage.

Before long they came to Yellow Wind Mountain. The Bodhisattva said, "Great Sage, that demon is somewhat afraid of me. I will stay fixed in the clouds. You go down and challenge him, draw him out, and I will use my power."

Wukong followed his advice, settled the cloud to earth, and without a word smashed the cave gate with his iron staff.

"Demon," he shouted, "bring my master back!"

The gate guard was so startled that he hurried inside to report. The demon said, "This wretched monkey is truly rude. He will not submit to kindness and has instead smashed my gate. I will go out, send out a blast of divine wind, and be sure to blow him to death."

He dressed himself as before, took up the steel fork, and went out. When he saw Wukong, he said no more but twisted the fork and jabbed straight for his chest. The Great Sage dodged aside. He raised his staff and fought back face to face for not many rounds when the demon flicked his head back, faced the windward corner, and was just opening his mouth to cry out wind when, up in the sky, Bodhisattva Lingji cast down the Flying-Dragon Staff.

No one knows what spell he recited, but it turned into an eight-clawed golden dragon. It spread its two claws and caught the demon at once, seizing him by the head and shaking him two or three times until he was thrown down at the cliff edge, where his true form appeared. It was a yellow-haired rat spirit.

Wukong rushed up and raised his staff to strike, but the Bodhisattva stopped him. "Great Sage, do not hurt his life. I still mean to take him to see the Tathagata."

Then he said to Wukong, "He was originally a rat who attained the Way at the foot of Mount Lingshan. Because he stole the lamp oil from a glass lamp and the light grew dim, he feared the Vajra guardians would catch him, and so he ran off and became a spirit here. The Tathagata saw that he had not yet earned death, so he ordered me to keep him in custody. But he has harmed the living and made mischief, so I will take him up to Mount Lingshan and present him before the Tathagata, that he may be judged justly. Only then will this count as the completion of my merit."

When Wukong heard this, he thanked the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva returned west, and we need not dwell on him here.

Now then: in the woods, Zhu Bajie was worrying about Wukong, when he suddenly heard a shout from the foot of the slope: "Brother Wuneng, bring the horse and the luggage."

The fool recognized Wukong's voice and hurried to gather up his things and run out of the woods. When he saw Wukong, he said, "Brother, how did you get things done?"

Wukong said, "I asked Bodhisattva Lingji for help. He used a Flying-Dragon Staff and caught the demon. It turned out to be a yellow-haired rat spirit who was carried off to Mount Lingshan to see the Tathagata. You and I should go into the cave and rescue Master."

Only then did the fool become happy.

The two of them crashed into the cave and, with one bout of the rake and one bout of the staff, killed every sly rabbit, demon fox, fragrant deer, and horned stag in the nest. Then they went to the back garden and bowed before they rescued Master.

Tripitaka came out of the gate and asked, "How did the two of you capture the demon? How was I finally rescued?"

Wukong told him all about how he had invited Bodhisattva Lingji to subdue the demon. The master thanked him without end.

The brothers ate some vegetarian food from the cave and drank tea and rice. Only then did they leave the gate and set out west on the main road.

As for what happened after that, nobody knows yet. That must wait for the next chapter.