Chapter 61: Zhu Bajie Helps Beat the Demon King; Sun Wukong Makes Three Attempts for the Plantain Fan

Now to return to the Bull Demon King. He had caught up with the Great Sage and saw him walking along with the Plantain Fan slung over his shoulder, his face bright with satisfaction. The demon king was greatly alarmed. "So the ape has learned the manner of using it as well. If I ask him for it face-to-face, he will surely refuse. If he fans me once, I may be blown a hundred thousand miles away, and that would only please him. I hear that Tripitaka is waiting on the road. His second disciple is the Pig Spirit and his third is the Sand Spirit. In the years when I was still a demon, I met them too. I had best change into the Pig Spirit and trick him back for a while. The ape is pleased with his gain now; he will not be on guard in any detail."

A fine demon king he was. He too knew the seventy-two transformations, and his martial skill was on a par with the Great Sage's, only his body was a little clumsy, a little slow to turn and quicken. He hid away his sword, muttered a spell, shook himself, and at once changed into Bajie's very face. Taking a shortcut, he met the Great Sage head-on and called out, "Brother, I am here."

The Great Sage was indeed delighted. As the old saying goes, "A cat that wins a fight grins like a tiger." Relying only on his own strength, he made no further inquiry into the newcomer's intent. Seeing Bajie's face, he cried, "Brother, where are you going?" The Bull Demon King, speaking in a Bajie-like way, said, "Master has seen that you have been gone a long time and fears the Bull Demon King's methods are too much for you, that you cannot beat him and have not won his treasure. He sent me to meet you."

Wukong laughed. "No need to trouble yourself. I have already got it."

"How did you get it?"

Wukong said, "That old bull fought me for more than a hundred rounds without a winner. Then he left me behind and went to the bottom of the Black-Rock Mountain, at the Bi Bo Pool, to drink with a band of dragon fiends and flood-dragon fiends.

"I followed him in secret, changed into a crab, stole the Water-Repelling Golden-Eyed Beast he rode, transformed myself into the old bull, and went straight to the Plantain Cave to fool that Rakshasa woman. That woman and I were married for one brief spell as husband and wife. I tricked the fan from her."

"You have borne a heavy burden," said the Bull Demon King. "Brother, you have labored too hard. Hand me the fan and let me carry it for you."

The Great Sage did not know the trick and was not thinking that far ahead. He handed the fan over at once.

The Bull Demon King knew the secret of opening and closing the fan. As soon as he had it, he made some unseen sign, and it shrank to no more than an apricot leaf, revealing his true form. He cursed, "You damned ape! Do you know me?"

Wukong saw it and at once regretted his own carelessness. "That was my mistake," he cried bitterly, stamping his foot. "Again and again I have shot wild geese, and now a little gosling has pecked out my eye."

He flew into a rage, drew his iron staff, and struck straight down at the demon king's head. The demon king answered with the fan and gave him one sweep. Yet when the Great Sage had once changed into a gnat and entered Princess Iron Fan's belly, he had kept a Wind-Stilling Pill in his mouth and swallowed it by mistake. So his five viscera remained firm and his bones and sinews held fast; no matter how the demon fanned, he could not be blown away. The Bull Demon King panicked, shoved the treasure into his mouth, and raised his sword in both hands to cut at him.

Those two fought a splendid battle in midair:

Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and the Bull Demon King who roamed the world,
met again over the Plantain Fan, and each strained every nerve.
The careless Great Sage had tricked another, and the bold Bull King had tricked the fan.
One swung the Golden-Hooped Rod without mercy; the other wielded twin blades with cunning.
The Great Sage loosed his might and spat out colored mist; the Bull Demon King spat out a glittering haze.
They matched courage against courage, both fierce and unyielding,
grinding their teeth, jaw set, heads high.
Dust rolled up and the heavens went dark; sand flew and rocks rolled while ghosts and gods hid away.
One cried, "How dare you cheat me so shamelessly?"
The other cried, "You promised my wife she could keep company with you."
Their words were rough and vile, their tempers hot and hard.
One said, "You cheated another man's wife and daughter; you deserve death and punishment."
The nimble Great Sage and the savage Great Power King only meant to kill, and would not pause for debate.
Staff met sword as both put forth all their strength; if one slowed even a little, death would be waiting.

We need not linger on how the two fought. Turn now to Tripitaka, who was sitting by the road, the heat steaming up from the earth and his heart dry with thirst. He asked the Earth God of Flame Mountain, "May I ask, revered spirit, how great the Bull Demon King's power really is?"

The Earth God said, "The Bull King has no small magic. His power is boundless. He is a true match for the Great Sage."

Tripitaka said, "Wukong can travel like the wind. In the past, he could cover two thousand miles and be back in an instant. How is it that he has been gone a whole day now? He must surely be locked in combat with the Bull King."

"Bajie, Wujing," he called, "which of you will go meet your brother? If you encounter the enemy, do your best to help him and get the fan back, so that I may be spared this torment and we can cross the mountain at once."

Bajie said, "It is already late today. I was just thinking of going, but I do not know the road to Mount Jilei."

The Earth God said, "I know the way. Let the Curtain-Lifting General keep your master company, and I will go with you."

Tripitaka was delighted. "I trouble you, revered spirit. When the work is done, I shall thank you properly."

Bajie shook himself with spirit, tied his black brocade robe straight, gripped his rake, and went with the Earth God riding clouds straight back east. Before long they heard a great shouting and a roaring wind. Bajie held the cloud and looked down; it was Sun Wukong fighting the Bull Demon King.

The Earth God said, "Marshal Tianpeng, why are you not moving forward?"

The Foolish One drew his nine-toothed rake and shouted, "Brother, I am here!"

Wukong cried angrily, "You blundering lout, you have ruined so many of my affairs."

Bajie said, "Master sent me to meet you. I did not know the mountain road, so after long discussion I had the Earth God lead me here. Why say I have ruined your affairs?"

Wukong said, "I am not blaming you for being late. That damned bull was outrageous. I had gotten the fan from the Rakshasa woman, but he changed into your face, said he had come to meet me, and I was pleased enough to hand him the fan. Then he showed his true form and is fighting me here, which is how the matter was delayed."

When Bajie heard this, he flew into a rage, raised his rake, and shouted at the Bull Demon King, "You blood-swollen plague-bringer! How dare you change into your ancestor's face, deceive my brother, and make brothers fall out with one another?" He struck blindly and furiously with the rake.

The Bull Demon King had, first, fought Wukong all day and was weary in body and spirit; second, Bajie's rake was ferocious and he could not block it. So he broke and fled. Then the Earth God of Flame Mountain led the yin soldiers to block him face-to-face and cried, "Great Power King, hold there. Tripitaka of the Great Tang has come west to seek the scriptures. No spirit does not protect him, no heaven does not bless him. The Three Realms have been notified, and the ten directions give him aid.

"Quickly bring out the Plantain Fan and fan out the fire, so he may cross the mountain without harm or obstruction. Otherwise Heaven will call you to account for your crimes, and you will surely be slain."

The Bull Demon King said, "You Earth God do not understand reason at all. That damned monkey stole my son, cheated my concubine, and tricked my wife. He has been lawless at every turn. I would gladly swallow him whole and turn him into filth for dogs to eat. How could I lend him my treasure?"

Before he had finished speaking, Bajie caught up and cursed, "You knot-armed plague! Hand over the fan and I will spare your life."

The Bull Demon King had no choice but to turn back and fight Bajie again with his sword. The Great Sage raised his staff to help, and this was the battle they fought:

A pig who has become a spirit, an ox that has turned into a monster, and a monkey who has stolen heaven and attained the Way.
The Buddhist nature is forged through combat, and earth must always be used to bring the original source into harmony.
The nine-toothed rake was sharp and piercing; the twin-bladed sword was fast and supple.
The iron staff could coil and uncoil at will, the main support of the battle.
The Earth God lent his strength, helping the elixir be perfected.
Three kinds of punishment and overcoming contended together, each displaying its own fine talent.
Cattle are seized and plow the fields, and gold coins grow long; pigs are called back into the furnace, and the wood force is gathered in.
If the mind is not still, how can one cultivate the Way? The spirit must keep to its chamber if the monkey is to be tethered.
They shouted wildly and begged bitterly while three weapons rang and clattered.
The rake struck and the sword cut, while the Golden-Hooped Rod rose for its own reason.
They fought until the stars lost their shine and the moon no longer gleamed, and the whole sky was cold and dim.

The Bull Demon King fought on in desperate fury. He battled as he went, and by dawn the two sides still stood evenly matched. By then they were before the entrance to his cave on Mount Jilei and Cloud-Gathering Grotto. The three of them, together with the Earth God and the yin soldiers, shouted so loudly that they shook the ears. This alarmed Princess Jade Face, who called for a maid to see who was making the uproar.

Soon a little monster at the gate reported, "It is our lord and the thunder-mouthed fellow from yesterday, with a monk with a long mouth and big ears, and they are fighting with the Earth God of Flame Mountain and the rest."

When Princess Jade Face heard this, she immediately ordered the great and small captains of the outer guard to take spears and knives and come assist. They sounded the call, large and small, and more than a hundred monsters came out, each one showing off his spirit, twirling spear and staff, and crying together, "Great King, we have come by the lady's secret order to help!"

The Bull Demon King was overjoyed. "Good, good, splendid!"

The monsters rushed forward and hacked wildly. Bajie was caught off guard, dragged his rake backward, and fled. The Great Sage leaped away on a somersault cloud and broke out of the encirclement. The yin soldiers scattered in all directions. The old bull won the day, gathered his monster host, and returned to the cave, shutting the gate tight. No more need be said for the moment.

Wukong said, "That fellow is fierce indeed. Since yesterday, around the hour before dusk, I have been fighting him until tonight, and the winner has not yet been decided. It was fortunate that you two came to help. We fought so bitterly for half a day and a whole night, and he still showed no sign of fatigue.

"And now this band of little monsters has come on savage and strong as well. He has shut the gate and will not come out. What are we to do?"

Bajie said, "Brother, you left Master yesterday at the hour of the snake. How is it that you did not fight him until the hour of the monkey? Where were you for those two or three hours?"

Wukong said, "After parting from you, I reached this mountain at once and saw a woman. On questioning her, I learned that she was his favorite concubine, Princess Jade Face. I frightened her with my iron staff, and she ran into the cave to summon the Bull King. He and I traded sharp words for a while, then fought for about an hour. Just as we were engaged, someone invited him to a banquet.

"I followed him to the bottom of the Black-Rock Mountain Bi Bo Pool, changed into a crab, spied out the situation, stole his Water-Repelling Golden-Eyed Beast, transformed myself into the Bull King's shape, and went back to the Plantain Cave on Mount Cuiyun to trick the Rakshasa woman and borrow the fan. I went outside to test the method, made the fan grow large, but did not know how to shrink it again. I was carrying it away when he changed into your face and tricked it back from me.

"That is why two or three hours were lost."

Bajie said, "That is just the saying: 'A tofu boat overturned in the great sea - in from the soup, out through the water.' Now that the fan is so hard to win, how can we get Master across the mountain? We had best go back and take another road. Damn the business."

The Earth God said, "Great Sage, do not grow vexed. Marshal Tianpeng, do not slacken. To speak of taking another road is to enter a side gate, and that is no sort of cultivation at all. As the old saying goes, 'Do not travel by the bypath.' How could you turn aside? Your master is sitting on the proper road, waiting with his eyes wide for your success."

Wukong said fiercely, "Just so, just so. Fool, do not talk nonsense. The Earth God speaks rightly. We are just about to contend with him:

Win or lose, we will test our skill and make our moves, while I display my Earthly Evil transformations.
Ever since I came west, I have had no match; the Bull King himself is only a transformation of the mind-monkey.
This time we meet the source head-on, and we must hold him fast until he lends us the treasure fan.
Catch the coolness, extinguish the fire, and break the stubborn void so we may see the Buddha's face.
When our work is complete and we rise to the Pure Land, we can all go together to the Dragon-Flower Feast."

Bajie, hearing this, gathered strength at once and answered eagerly:

"Yes, yes, yes, go, go, go. What do we care whether the Bull King meets us or not?
Wood is born in the hour of hai and belongs with the pig; turn the ox around and send him back to the earth.
Metal is born in the hour of shen and belongs with the monkey; there is no punishment and no clash, only harmony.
Use the Plantain Fan with a water intent, and the blazing fire will be cut off, becoming balanced and complete.
Day and night, do not leave the suffering until the work is done; once the task is complete, hurry to the Ullambana Feast."

The two of them led the Earth God and the yin soldiers forward together, swung the rake and the iron staff, and smashed the front gate of Cloud-Gathering Grotto to pieces. The outer guard captain, frightened stiff, rushed inside and reported, "Great King, Sun Wukong and his party have smashed the front gate."

The Bull Demon King was then with Princess Jade Face, laying out the whole affair and brooding over Sun Wukong, when he heard that the gate had been broken. He flew into a furious rage, hurriedly put on his armor, seized his iron staff, and stormed out cursing, "You damned ape! How big do you think you are, that you dare come here and throw your weight around, smashing my gate?"

Bajie rushed up and cursed in return, "You rotten old skin-flayer! What sort of creature are you, that you dare measure yourself against him? Do not run. Taste my rake."

The Bull Demon King shouted, "You greasy, blundering glutton! Get that monkey up here at once."

Wukong said, "You ignorant grass-eater! Yesterday I still called you brother. Today you are my enemy. Take this one staff, if you can."

The Bull Demon King fought back with all his spirit. This contest was even fiercer than the last.

Three heroes were tangled together, and the killing was fierce:

The rake and the iron staff showed their godlike might, while the yin soldiers fought the old bull.
The sacrificial ox displayed only its fierce and savage nature, and the full sweep of sky-wide power spread everywhere.
The rake struck, the staff pounded, and the iron staff hero made more marvels still.
Three weapons rang and clanged; who would yield to whom while block met block?
He claimed the lead, I claimed the prize. Earth soldiers served as witness, yet the struggle between wood and earth ran high and low.
The two cried, "Why will you not lend the Plantain Fan?"
The other cried, "How dare you, in your wicked heart, cheat my wife? The revenge for driving off my concubine and harming my child is still unpaid, and now you smash my door and disturb my house!"
This one cried, "Guard yourself against the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Brush against it and your skin will split."
That one cried, "Steer clear of the rake's teeth. One blow and nine holes will spill blood."
The Bull Demon King did not fear force and violence; he raised his iron staff with keen judgment.
They turned cloud to rain and rain to cloud as they went, and let mist and wind come and go at will.
Each one fought in bitter hatred, gladly standing fast in this struggle to the death.
They threw off all restraint, high or low, each blocking and meeting before and behind without a flaw.
The brothers joined their efforts, while a lone staff fought its own battle.
They battled from the hour of mao until after chen, and when the fight was done the Bull Demon King had to give way.

The three of them fought desperately for more than a hundred rounds. Bajie grew wild and foolish, relying on Wukong's magic, and jabbed at random with his rake. The Bull Demon King could no longer hold him off and turned back in defeat, running for the cave gate.

But the Earth God and the yin soldiers blocked the gate and shouted, "Great Power King, where do you think you are going? We are here."

Unable to get back inside, the old bull hurriedly drew away. Then he saw Bajie and Wukong pressing after him, and in his panic he stripped off his armor, dropped his iron staff, shook himself, and changed into a white swan flying up into the sky.

Wukong saw it and laughed. "Bajie, the old bull is gone."

The Foolish One did not understand at all, and the Earth God could not make sense of it either. They all looked east and west, searching wildly around Mount Jilei. Wukong pointed and said, "Is not that flying thing in the air?"

Bajie said, "That is only a swan."

"That is the old bull in transformation."

The Earth God said, "If so, what is to be done?"

Wukong said, "You two break into this gate and wipe out the monster host. Tear down his nest and cut off his road of retreat. Let Old Sun contend with him in changes."

Bajie and the Earth God obeyed and attacked the gate. No more need be said there.

The Great Sage drew in the Golden-Hooped Rod, muttered a spell, and shook himself into the shape of a sea hawk. With a flash of his wings he drilled through the gap in the clouds, came diving down, and landed on the swan's neck, pecking at its eyes. The Bull Demon King knew it was Sun Wukong's transformation, and he hurriedly shook his wings to become a yellow hawk, flying back to peck at the sea hawk.

Wukong changed again into a black phoenix, chasing the yellow hawk. The Bull King recognized him and turned into a white crane, crying long and flying south. Wukong steadied himself, shook his feathers, and became a red phoenix, crying high.

The white crane saw that the phoenix was the king of birds, and no lesser creature dared move. With a beat of its wings it dropped to the cliff, changed again, and became a fragrant antelope, lowering its eyes to graze before the cliff. Wukong recognized it and descended as well, becoming a starving tiger with tail stiff and paws running, ready to make a meal of the antelope. The demon king grew flustered and changed into a spotted leopard with golden coins on its coat, intending to wound the starving tiger.

Wukong saw this and turned his head against the wind, changing into a golden-eyed lion, voice like thunder, iron brow and bronze head, and turned back to devour the leopard. The Bull Demon King became anxious again and changed into a giant bear, charging forward on broad feet to seize the lion. Wukong rolled once and became a stubborn elephant, trunk like a great snake and tusks like bamboo shoots, swinging his trunk to wrap the bear.

The Bull Demon King chuckled and showed his true form: a great white ox, its head like a towering ridge, its eyes like flashes of light, its two horns like iron towers, its teeth ranked like blades. From head to tail it stretched more than a thousand yards; from hoof to back it stood eight hundred yards high. It shouted at Wukong, "You damned ape! What can you do to me now?"

Wukong also showed his true form, drew out the Golden-Hooped Rod, bent his waist, and cried, "Grow!"

He grew until he stood ten thousand yards high, his head like Mount Tai, his eyes like the sun and moon, his mouth like a blood pool, his teeth like gate leaves, the iron staff in his hand aimed straight for the bull's head. The Bull Demon King braced himself and charged with his horns. That battle truly shook ridge and mountain, and heaven and earth trembled. There is a poem to prove it:

The Way is an inch higher, the demon ten thousand yards taller, and the clever heart-monkey brings him down by force.
If the fire mountain is to lose its blaze, then the treasure fan must bring coolness.
Lady Yellow, resolved, supports the old lord; Mother Wood keeps her tenderness and sweeps away the monster.
When the Five Phases are reconciled, the true fruition is won, and the demon is refined and the filth washed away on the road to the West.

The two of them displayed their full divine power and fought in the middle of the mountain. Their struggle alarmed all the spirits in the void, together with the Golden-Headed Revealer, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the eighteen protective guardians, who all came to surround the demon king. The Bull Demon King did not fear them at all. You could see him thrusting east and west with his two iron horns, straight and shining, battering to and fro; and with his bristling, sinewy tail he struck left and right. Sun Wukong met him head-on while the many gods struck from all sides.

The Bull Demon King grew desperate and rolled to the ground, resuming his own shape before fleeing back to the Plantain Cave. Wukong also drew in his battle form and, with the many gods behind him, pursued in hot haste. The demon king burst into the cave and shut himself in.

By then they had the whole of Mount Cuiyun surrounded so tightly that not even water could leak through.

Just as they were battering the gate again, Bajie arrived noisily with the Earth God and the yin soldiers. Wukong saw him and asked, "How did things go at Cloud-Gathering Grotto?"

Bajie laughed. "That old bull's wife was smashed dead by my rake. When I split open her clothing, she turned out to be a jade-faced fox spirit. That whole monster crowd was a pack of donkeys, mules, calves, bulls, badgers, foxes, raccoon dogs, antelopes, goats, tigers, musk deer, deer, and the like; I had them all wiped out. I also burned down the buildings and galleries of their cave. The Earth God said they had another family seat on this mountain, so we came here to clear it out as well."

Wukong said, "Well done, brother. Good, good. I only had that old bull contest changes with me and still have not won. He became a white bull so huge there was no telling how big he was, while I made myself as vast as heaven and earth. Just as we were locking horns, by good fortune the gods descended and surrounded him for a long time, after which he resumed his true form and fled into the cave."

Bajie said, "Then that must be the Plantain Cave?"

"It is, it is. Princess Iron Fan is right here."

Bajie said fiercely, "If that is so, why not batter our way in, wipe out the bastard, and demand the fan from him? Instead we let him hide away and sharpen his wits, while the two of them sit inside enjoying each other's company?"

The Foolish One truly had spirit. He raised his rake and gave the gate one blow. With a crash, the stone cliff and the gate were smashed down on one side. The young girl inside, in a panic, rushed to report, "My lord, I do not know who has smashed the front gate."

The Bull Demon King had just run inside, panting hard, and was telling Princess Iron Fan about the struggle with Sun Wukong over the fan when he heard the report and flew into a towering rage. He spat out the fan, gave it to Princess Iron Fan, and said, "Madam, take this fan and give it to that ape, so he will withdraw his troops."

Princess Iron Fan took the fan in both hands, tears filling her eyes. "My lord, give the fan to that ape and let him pull his troops back."

The Bull Demon King said, "My lady, though the thing is small, the hatred is deep. Sit here a moment while I go and fight him again."

The demon redid his armor, picked out two treasure swords, and went out of the gate. He met Bajie just as Bajie was battering the gate. Without another word, the old bull drew his sword and chopped straight down. Bajie raised his rake to meet him and was forced back a few steps. As he came out of the gate, Wukong was already there, swinging his staff at his head. The Bull Demon King leaped away on a fierce wind and was back in contention on Mount Cuiyun. The many gods closed in all around, and the Earth soldiers attacked from both sides.

This battle was fierce indeed:

The world was hidden in clouds, and the cosmos was covered in mist.
Harsh yin winds swept sand and stones into motion; swelling anger made the sea itself appear turbid.
The two swords were ground anew, and the full armor was hung back in place.
Their grudges ran deeper than the sea, and the deeper the hatred, the hotter the rage.
Look at the Great Sage: because of merit, he does not spare an old acquaintance from the past.
Bajie exerts his might to win the fan; the gods guard the law and help seize the Bull Lord.
The Bull Demon King has no pause in either hand, blocking left and right with all his spirit.
So fierce was the slaughter that even birds dared not fly and folded their wings, and fish would not leap but sank to the bottom.
Ghosts cried, gods wailed, heaven and earth went dark; dragons were sorrowful, tigers afraid, and the daylight itself dimmed.

The Bull Demon King fought as though he had staked his life, and after more than fifty rounds he could not withstand them. He broke and fled toward the north. There he was stopped by the prodigiously capable and unruly Vajra from Secret-Magic Cliff on Mount Wutai, who shouted, "Bull demon, where are you going? I have been sent by the Buddha Shakyamuni to spread a heavenly net and a earth net here, and I have come to capture you."

As he spoke, the Great Sage, Bajie, and the gods came up behind him.

The demon king turned in panic and fled south, only to collide with the Vajra of Vast Power and Ultimate Victory from the Clear Cool Cave on Mount Emei, who shouted, "I have come under the Buddha's command and am here to seize you."

The Bull Demon King was so terrified that his legs went weak. He turned east and ran, but met the Great Strength Vajra from Miao'er Cliff on Mount Sumeru, who cried, "Old bull, where are you going? I have been sent by the Tathagata in secret to capture you."

Again the Bull King retreated in fear and went west, only to meet the Indestructible Honored King and Ever-Remaining Vajra from Golden Radiance Ridge on Kunlun Mountain, who shouted, "Where do you think you can go now? I carry the personal order of the Buddha of Thunderclap Monastery in the Western Heaven. I am here to block your road. Who will let you through?"

The old bull was terrified to the point of trembling and regretted it too late. Seeing that in all four directions there were Buddhist soldiers and heavenly generals, it was indeed like a net spread high and wide from which he could not escape. In that moment of panic, he heard Wukong leading his host in pursuit, so he rode a cloud and tried to flee upward.

Just then Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and Prince Nezha arrived, leading the fish-belly yakshas and the giant spirit gods to block the sky. They cried, "Slow down, slow down. We have come under the Jade Emperor's order specifically to wipe you out."

The Bull Demon King grew desperate and changed as before into a great white bull, using his two iron horns to ram at the Heavenly King. The Heavenly King raised his blade to strike. Then Sun Wukong arrived as well. Prince Nezha cried out sharply, "Great Sage, we are in armor and cannot offer full ceremony.

"Yesterday my foolish father and I saw the Buddha issue a proclamation to the Jade Emperor, saying that Tripitaka was blocked at Flame Mountain and the Great Sage could not subdue the Bull Demon King. The Jade Emperor then issued an edict and specially sent my father to lead the host and give help."

Wukong said, "This fellow has great magic and has changed into such a huge body. What can be done?"

The prince laughed. "Great Sage, do not doubt it. Watch me capture him."

He shouted once, "Change!" and at once became three heads and six arms. He leaped onto the Bull Demon King's back and swung the Demon-Slaying Sword at his neck. In a flash the bull's head was cut off. The Heavenly King drew back his blade, and Wukong met him then. But another head grew out of the Bull Demon King's neck, spitting black breath and flashing golden light from his eyes.

Nezha struck again, and when the head fell off another came out. He hacked more than ten times, and more than ten heads grew at once. Then Nezha took out his fire wheels and hung them on the old bull's horns. He blew true fire, roaring and blazing, and burned the Bull Demon King until he bellowed wildly, tossing his head and tail.

Just as he was about to escape by changing shape again, Li Jing held him fast in his true form with the Demon-Reflecting Mirror, and he could not stir. He had no way to survive and could only cry, "Do not harm my life. I am willing to submit to the Buddhist path."

Nezha said, "If you care for your life, hand over the fan at once."

The Bull Demon King said, "The fan is in the keeping of my mountain wife."

When Nezha heard this, he took off the demon-binding rope, looped it over the bull's neck, seized his nose in one hand, and threaded the rope through his nostrils, leading him along by hand.

Sun Wukong then gathered the Four Great Vajras, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the protective guardians, Li Jing, the giant spirit gods, Bajie, the Earth God, and the yin soldiers, and they escorted the white bull back to the mouth of the Plantain Cave. The old bull cried out, "Madam, bring out the fan and save my life."

At the sound, Princess Iron Fan hastily removed her hairpins and ornaments, took off her colorful dress, gathered her black hair into the style of a Daoist nun, and put on plain white garments like a bhikshu. With both hands she carried out the Plantain Fan, twelve feet long, and came to the gate. Seeing the Vajra hosts and the Heavenly King and his son, she knelt in panic and bowed to the ground. "I beg the Bodhisattva to spare my husband's and my life. We are willing to offer this fan to Sun Uncle so he may complete his work."

Wukong stepped forward, took the fan, and with the whole assembly rode clouds straight back east.

As for Tripitaka and Sha Wujing, they stood for a while, sat for a while, and kept looking for Wukong, who did not return for a very long time. They were full of worry. Suddenly they saw clouds filling the sky and auspicious light covering the ground. The mass of gods came drifting close, and the elder grew afraid. "Wujing, whose divine soldiers are those over there?"

Sha Wujing recognized them and said, "Master, those are the Four Great Vajras, the Golden-Headed Revealer, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the protective guardians, and the passing host of gods. The one leading the bull is Prince Nezha, and the one carrying the mirror is Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. Our senior brother is holding the Plantain Fan, the second brother is following with the Earth God, and the rest are the guard troops."

Tripitaka, hearing this, put on his Pilu cap, donned his robe, and bowed with Wujing to greet the holy ones, thanking them. "What merit have I, your disciple, that I should trouble so many revered ones to descend to the mortal world?"

The Four Great Vajras said, "Holy monk, rejoice. Your great work is nearly complete. We have been sent by the Buddha's command to aid you. You must redouble your cultivation and not be lazy for even a moment."

Tripitaka clacked his teeth, bowed his head, and received the blessing and the charge.

The Great Sage took the fan and walked to the side of the mountain. He drew on all his strength and gave one sweep, and the fire of Flame Mountain was cleanly extinguished, the blaze gone without a trace. Wukong, delighted, gave a second sweep, and only a soft breeze could be heard. With the third sweep, clouds filled the whole sky and a fine rain fell in a light mist.

There is a poem to prove it:

Flame Mountain lies eight hundred leagues away, with firelight famous through the land.
Fire boils the five watches and cannot refine the elixir; fire burns the three passes and leaves the road obscured.
At the right moment the Plantain Fan lends rain and dew, and by Heaven's aid the divine work is completed.
Lead the ox back to Buddha and do not riot any further; when water and fire join, the nature becomes calm.

At this point Tripitaka was relieved of his heat and vexation, and his mind grew clear and still. The four of them took refuge, thanked the Vajras, and each returned to his own sacred mountain. The Six Ding and Six Jia rose into the air to continue their protection. The passing gods scattered in all directions. The Heavenly King and the prince led the ox away and returned straight to the Buddha's realm to give account. Only the local Earth God remained, keeping Princess Iron Fan at the side.

Wukong said, "Rakshasa, why are you still standing here and not going on your way?"

Princess Iron Fan knelt and said, "I beg the Great Sage to show mercy and return the fan to me."

Bajie shouted, "You vile wench, you do not know your place. Sparing your life is enough. Why do you still want the fan? If we take it over the mountain, shall we not sell it for money and buy snacks? We have spent all this effort and strength. Why should we give it to you? It is raining so hard; why do you not hurry back?"

Princess Iron Fan bowed again. "The Great Sage himself said he would return the fan after the fire was put out. Now this battle has come to this pass, and I truly regret my folly too late. Because I lacked polish and grace, I caused troops and masters alike to labor. We too have cultivated human form, only we have not yet attained true fruition.

"Now that the real form has appeared and the matter is settled in the West, I dare not act recklessly again. I beg you to grant me back my own fan, so that I may begin anew and cultivate body and life."

The Earth God said, "Great Sage, since this woman now understands the method of quenching the fire and has cut off the root of the blaze, return her fan. Little god may dwell here in peace, save the people of this region, and seek a little blood-offering. It would truly be an act of mercy."

Wukong said, "When I questioned the local people earlier, they told me that with this mountain fan one can put out the fire for only one year, and then the blaze breaks out again. How can it be cured at the root?"

Princess Iron Fan said, "If you want to cut off the root of the fire, you need only fan it forty-nine times in a row, and it will never flare again."

When Wukong heard this, he took up the fan and, with all his strength, fanned the mountain forty-nine times in succession. Rain came pouring down over the mountain. Truly it was a treasure: where there was fire, it rained; where there was no fire, the sky was clear. Tripitaka and his disciples stood in the dry place and were not soaked by the rain.

They stayed there one night. Next morning they packed the horses and baggage and returned the fan to Princess Iron Fan. Wukong said, "If Old Sun did not return it to you, people would say I was not true to my word. Take the fan back to your mountain and do not make trouble again. Since you have attained human form, I spare you."

Princess Iron Fan took the fan, muttered a spell, and folded it down to the size of an apricot leaf, which she held in her mouth. She bowed in thanks to the holy ones, hid her name, and cultivated in secrecy. Later she too attained true fruition and won an eternal name in the scriptures.

Princess Iron Fan and the Earth God both thanked them with deep gratitude and escorted them part of the way. Wukong, Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Tripitaka went on together, their bodies truly cool and their feet blessed with moisture. Indeed:

The work of Kan and Li had joined in perfect balance, and water and fire stood equal in the Great Way.

But how many years it took them to return to the Eastern Land, that must wait for the next chapter.