The poem says:1
Vain thoughts cannot be slain by force.
Why must you seek after Suchness?
Refine before Buddha your self-existent mind—
Are not illusion and enlightenment the same?
Enlightened, you reach instantly the Right;
Deluded, you sink in ten thousand kalpas.
If you can cultivate one thought with Truth,
Sins vast as Ganges’ sand are wiped out.
We were telling you about Eight Rules and Sha Monk, who fought with that monster for over thirty rounds but a decision could not be reached. Why not, you ask. If it were a matter of matching abilities, you needn’t speak of two monks. Even if there were twenty monks, they would still be unable to withstand that monster. It was only because of the fact that the Tang Monk was not yet fated to die that his followers could count on the help of certain deities. Eight Rules and Sha Monk, therefore, were assisted in secret in the air by the Six Gods of Light and Six Gods of Darkness, the Guardians of Five Quarters, the Four Sentinels, and the Eighteen Guardian-Spirits of monasteries.
For the moment we shall speak no more of the battle between the three of them. We tell you instead about the elder, who was weeping piteously in the cave and thinking about his disciples. As tears fell from his eyes, he said to himself, “Wuneng, I don’t know in which village you have met a friend of truth and are enjoying being fed. O, Wujing! Where have you gone to search for him, and how will you be able to meet him? Will you two realize that I met a demon, that I’m suffering here? When will I see you both again? When will I escape from this great ordeal so that I can reach the Spirit Mountain soon?” As he was giving voice to his grief in this manner, he suddenly saw a woman walk out from inside the cave. Holding on to the Spirit-Soothing Pillar, she said, “Elder, where did you come from? Why are you bound here by him?”
When the elder heard this, he turned his teary eyes to steal a glance at her and found that she was about thirty years old. “Lady Bodhisattva,” he said, “no need for further questions. I must have been fated to die when I entered your door. If you want to devour me, go ahead. Why bother to question me?” The woman said, “I don’t eat people! About three hundred miles west of here is my home, a city by the name of the Precious Image Kingdom.2 I’m the third princess of its king, and my childhood name is Hundred Flowers’ Shame. Thirteen years ago, on the eve of the fifteenth of the eighth month, I was enjoying the sight of the moon when this monster-spirit kidnapped me and brought me here in a violent wind. I was forced to become his wife for all these thirteen years and to bear his children. It was impossible, of course, for me to send any news back to the Court, and I couldn’t see my parents even though I thought of them frequently. But where did you come from, and how did he catch you?”
“This poor monk,” said the Tang Monk, “is someone sent to acquire scriptures in the Western Heaven. I was taking a walk when I bumped into this place. Now he wants to catch my two disciples also so that we will all be steamed and eaten together.” “Elder, please don’t worry,” said the princess with a smile. “If you are a scripture pilgrim, I can save you, for the Precious Image Kingdom is right on your main path to the West. All I ask of you is to deliver a letter for me to my parents and I’ll ask my husband to let you go.” Nodding his head, the Tang Monk said, “Lady Bodhisattva, if you can save the life of this poor monk, I shall be glad to serve as your messenger.”
Quickly running inside, the princess wrote a letter and had it properly sealed. She then went back out to the pillar and untied him before handing him the letter. After he was freed, the Tang Monk held the letter in his hands and said, “Lady Bodhisattva, thank you for saving my life. When this poor monk reaches your kingdom, he will certainly deliver the letter to the king. I fear, however, that such a lengthy separation will make it difficult for your parents to recognize anything from you. What shall I do then? They would not accuse me of lying, would they?” “No fear,” said the princess. “My parents have no son; all they have are us three sisters. When they see this letter, they will look after you.” Tucking the letter deep into his sleeve, Tripitaka thanked the princess again and started to walk out. “You can’t go out the front door!” said the princess, tugging at him. “Those monster-spirits, great and small, are all outside waving the banners and beating the drums and gongs to assist the Great King, who is at this very moment fighting with your disciples. You’d better leave by the back door. If the Great King seizes you, he will at least interrogate you. But if the little fiends catch hold of you, they may slaughter you on the spot without further ado. Let me go instead to the front and speak a word on your behalf. If the Great King is willing to let you go, your disciples can take that as a favor and leave with you.” When Tripitaka heard these words, he kowtowed to the princess before taking leave of her. After walking out of the back door, he dared not proceed; instead, he hid himself in some bushes and waited.
We tell you now about the princess, who had devised a clever plan. She ran out the front door and pushed her way through the vast throng of monsters. All she could hear was the jangle of weapons, for Eight Rules and Sha Monk were still doing battle in midair with that fiend. The princess shouted, “Lord Yellow Robe!” When the monster king heard the call of the princess, he abandoned Eight Rules and Sha Monk and dropped down from the clouds. Holding his scimitar with one hand, he took the hand of the princess with the other and said, “Mistress, what do you want?” “Husband,” said the princess, “I was sleeping just now within the silk curtains, and I saw in my dream a golden-armored deity.” “That golden-armored deity,” said the demon, “what does he want at my door?” The princess said, “During my youth when I was living in the palace, I made a secret vow that if I found a good husband, I would ascend the famous mountains, visit the immortal abodes, and feed the monks. Since I married you, ours had been such great happiness that I never had the opportunity to mention this to you. Just now that golden-armored deity came to demand that I fulfill my vow; he was shouting at me so vehemently that I woke up with a start. Even though it was all a dream, I made haste to come to tell you about it. Then I saw a monk all tied up on that pillar. I beg you, husband, to be compassionate for my sake and spare that monk. Just regard the matter as if it were my feeding the monks to redeem my vow. Are you willing?”
“Mistress,” said the fiend, “you’re so gullible! I thought it was something important! All right! If I wanted to eat humans, I can catch a few anywhere. This one monk, what does he amount to? I’ll let him go.” “Husband,” said the princess, “let him go out the back door.” The monster said, “What nuisance! Just let him go. Why bother about the back door or front door?” He gripped his steel scimitar and shouted, “You, Zhu Eight Rules! Come over here! I’m not afraid of you, but I won’t fight with you anymore; for the sake of my wife, I’m going to spare your master. Go quickly to our back door and find him so that you can leave for the West. If you ever trespass our territory again, I will not spare you.”
When Eight Rules and Sha Monk heard these words, they felt as if they had been released from the gate of Hell! Leading the horse and poling the luggage, they darted like rodents past the Current-Moon Cave. When they reached the back door, they cried, “Master!” The elder recognized their voices and answered from the thorny bushes. Sha Monk parted the grass and picked up his master, who mounted the horse hurriedly. So,
Almost harmed by the vicious blue-faced spirit,
He met by luck the zeal of Hundred Flowers’ Shame.
The scorpaenid has from the golden hook escaped:
He wags his head and tail to swim with the waves.
Eight Rules led the way in front while Sha Monk brought up the rear. They left the pine forest and proceeded on the main road. Look at the two of them! Still bickering and grumbling, they were trying to put the blame on each other, and Tripitaka had to spend all the time attempting to pacify them. At night they sought a place to rest; when the cock crowed they looked at the sky. Stage by stage, they soon traveled some two hundred and ninety-nine miles. When they raised their heads one day, they saw a beautiful city. It was the Precious Image Kingdom, a marvelous place indeed!
How boundless the clouds!
How vast the journey!
Though the land is a thousand miles away,
Its condition is no less prosperous.3
Auspicious mist and smoke surround it;
Bright moon and clear wind befriend it.
Green, towering distant mountains
Spread out like a painted scroll;
The flowing stream, surging and bubbling,
Throws up pieces of white jade.
Arable fields, joined by roadways and paths;
Worthy of food, dense sprouting rice crops;
Hooked by the fisherman, three winding brooks of a few households;
Gathered by the woodsman, one load of pepper-wood from two hills.
Each corridor and each rampart
Are made strong as if by metal and liquid;4
Every house and every home
Vies with one another in felicity.
Nine-tiered towers rise like palace halls;
Layered terraces soar like beacons.
There are also the Great Ultimate Hall,5
The Bright Cover Hall,
The Burn Incense Hall,
The Text-Viewing Hall,
The Policy-Proclaiming Hall,
And the Talent-Engaging Hall—
Every hall lined with jade threshold and gold steps,
With civil and military officials.
There are also the Great Light Palace,
The Bright Sun Palace,
The Long-Lasting Pleasure Palace,
The Bright Clear Palace,
The Memorial-Establishing Palace,
And the Never-Ending Palace—
Each palace, with its chimes, drums, pipes, and vertical flutes,
Releases its boudoir sorrows and springtime griefs.
There are in the forbidden courtyard
Young, fresh faces like flowers bedewed;
There are on the palace moat
Slender waists like willows dancing in the wind.
On the broad boulevard
There may be one who is capped and sashed,
Who, elaborately dressed,
Mounts a five-horse chariot.
At a secluded spot
There may be one holding bow and arrows
Who, pushing through fog and clouds,
Would pierce a pair of hawks.6
Alleys of flowers and willows;
Towers of pipes and strings:
Spring breeze here’s no lighter than at Luoyang Bridge!
Our scripture-seeking elder
Recalls the Tang court and his bowels almost burst;
Our disciples, flanking their master,
Rest in a post-house and lose their souls in dreams.
There was no end to the sight of such fine scenery at the Precious Image Kingdom. Master and disciples, the three of them, brought the luggage and the horse to a post-house and rested.
Afterwards, the Tang Monk walked to the gate of the court and said to the gate official, “A priest from the Tang court has arrived to seek an audience with the throne and to have my travel rescript certified. Please make this report for me.” The Custodian of the Yellow Gate hurried inside and went before the white jade steps to say, “Your Majesty, there is an illustrious monk from the Tang court, who wishes to have an audience with you in order to have his travel rescript certified.” When the king heard that an illustrious monk had arrived from such a great nation as the Tang, he was very pleased and consented at once. “Summon him to come in,” he said. When Tripitaka was summoned before the golden steps, he went through an elaborate court ceremony to pay homage to the ruler. None of the civil and military officials lining up on both sides of the court could refrain from saying, “Truly a man from a noble nation! What exquisite manners!” The king said, “Elder, why did you come to our Kingdom?” “This humble monk,” said Tripitaka, “is a Buddhist from the Tang court. I have received the decree of my emperor to go to acquire scriptures in the West. The travel rescript that I originally received should be certified once I arrive at the kingdom of Your Majesty. This is the reason why I dare intrude upon your Dragon Presence.” “If you have the rescript from the Tang Son of Heaven,” said the king, “bring it up here for me to look at.” Presenting it with both hands, Tripitaka placed the document on the imperial desk and unfolded it. The rescript says:
The travel rescript of the Tang Son of Heaven, who succeeds under the guidance of Heaven to the throne
of the Great Tang Empire in the South Jambūdvīpa Continent. Though we humbly acknowledge our poor
display of virtue, we are the lawful descendant of a great heritage. In the service to the gods and the
government of men, we try to be vigilant night and day, as if we were approaching a deep abyss or
walking on thin ice. Some time ago, we failed to save the life of the Old Dragon of Jing River, for which
we were chastised by the Most High August One. Our soul and spirit, drifting to the Region of Darkness,
had already become a guest of impermanence. Because our allotted age was not yet exhausted, however,
we were indebted to the Ruler of Darkness, who released us and returned us to life. Thereafter, we
convened a grand mass and established the ritual field for the dead. It was at this time also that the One
who saves from afflictions, the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin, revealed to us her golden form, and enlightened
us with the knowledge that the West had both Buddha and scriptures, able to redeem the dead and deliver
the orphaned spirits. For this reason we now commission Xuanzang, master of the law, to traverse a
thousand mountains in order to acquire such scriptures. When he reaches the many nations of the West, it
is our hope that they will not extinguish the goodly affinity and allow him to pass through because of this
rescript. This is a necessary-to-be-sent document.7 An auspicious day in the autumn of the thirteenth
year, in the Zhenguan period of the Great Tang. An imperial document. (There were also the marks of
nine precious seals on it.) When the king read it, he took the jade seal of his own nation and stamped it before handing it back to Tripitaka.
After he thanked the king and put away the travel rescript, Tripitaka said, “This humble priest came first of all to have the document certified, and secondly to present to Your Majesty a family letter.” Delighted, the king said, “What kind of family letter?” “Your Majesty,” said Tripitaka, “the third princess was kidnapped by the Yellow Robe Fiend of the Current-Moon Cave at the Casserole Mountain. This humble priest met her by chance and it was she who asked me to send you this letter.”
When the king heard this, his eyes brimmed with tears. “Thirteen years ago,” he said, “we lost our princess. For that, we banished countless officials, both civil and military, and we did not know how many ladies-in-waiting and eunuchs we had caned to death throughout the palace. For we thought that she had walked out of the palace and lost her way. Since we did not know where to look, we interrogated countless households in the city, but there was not a trace of her. How would we know that a monster had kidnapped her? When I receive this word today, I cannot hold back my grief or tears.” Thereupon Tripitaka took out the letter from his sleeve and presented it. When the king took it and saw the address on the envelope, his hands turned feeble and could not open the letter. He therefore gave the order to have the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy8 come before the throne and read the letter. The Grand Secretary ascended the steps as all the civil and military officials before the court and all the imperial concubines and palace ladies behind the court listened attentively. Opening the letter, the Grand Secretary began to read:
The unfilial daughter, Hundred Flowers’ Shame, touches her head to the ground a hundred times before
the Dragon-Phoenix Palace to honor Father King of the highest virtue. Long may he live! I bow also
before the Bright Sun Palace to my Queen Mother, Queen of the Three Palaces, and to all worthy
ministers, both civil and military, of the entire court. Ever since it was my good fortune to have been born
into the queen’s palace, I have been indebted to you for the countless acts of grievous labor you
undertook on my behalf. I regret that I have not done the utmost to please you, nor have I discharged with
all my strength my filial duties. It was on the fifteenth day of the eighth month thirteen years ago that
Father King, on that lovely evening and auspicious occasion, gave his gracious command for banquets to
be be prepared in the several palaces so that we might enjoy the moonlight and celebrate the glorious
Festival of Immaculate Heavens. During the moment of festivity, a sudden gust of fragrant windg brought
forward a demon king with golden pupils, indigo face, and green hair who took hold of your daughter.
Mounting the auspicious luminosity, he carried me away directly to an uninhabited region midway in the
mountain and absolutely forbade me to leave. He exploited his fiendish power and forced me to become
his wife; I had no alternative but to suffer such ignominy for these thirteen years. Two monster children
were born to me, all seeds of this fiend. To speak of this, in fact, is to corrupt the great human relations
and to pervert our morals. I should not, therefore, send you such an offensive and insulting letter, but I
fear that there would be no explanation should your daughter pass away. As I was thinking of my parents
with deep sorrow, I learned that a holy monk from the Tang court was also taken captive by the demon
king. It was then that your daughter wrote this letter in tears and made bold to obtain release for the
priest, so that he might deliver this small document as an expression of my heart. I beg Father King in his
compassion to send his noble generals quickly to capture the Yellow Robe Fiend at the Current-Moon
Cave of the Casserole Mountain and bring your daughter back to the court. Yours will be the deepest
favor to me. Please pardon my disrespect in writing this letter in haste, and whatever has not been said I
hope to tell you face to face. Your disobedient daughter, Hundred Flowers’ Shame, kowtows again and
again. When the Grand Secretary finished reading the letter, the king burst into loud wailing; all the three palaces shed tears and the various officials were also overborne by grief.
After the king had wept for a long time, he asked the two rows of civil and military officials, “Who dares lead the troops and captains to capture the monster for us and rescue our Hundred Flowers princess?” He asked the question several times, but there was not a single person courageous enough to respond. Like generals carved out of wood and ministers molded with clay, they all turned dumb! Sorely distressed, the king wept till tears streamed down his face, whereupon many officials prostrated themselves and memorialized, saying, “Your Majesty, we beseech you to desist from your sorrow. The princess was lost, and for thirteen years there had been no news from her. Although she met by chance the holy monk from the Tang court so that she was able to send us this letter, we are still not fully informed about her situation. Moreover, your subjects are merely mortal creatures. We have studied military manuals and tactics, of course, but our knowledge is limited to placing troops in formations and pitching camps in order to protect the frontiers of our nation from any invasion. The monster-spirit, however, is someone who comes by the fog and goes with the clouds. Unless we could meet him face to face, how could we attack him and rescue the princess? The scripture pilgrim from the Land of the East is, we believe, a holy monk from a noble nation. As a priest
Whose vast power tames dragons and tigers,
Whose great virtue awes demons and gods,
he must know the art of subduing monsters. As the proverb says,
He who comes and tells of some affair
Is himself involved in that affair.
Let us ask this elder to subdue the monster and rescue our princess; this is our safest policy.”
When the king heard these words, he turned quickly to Tripitaka and said, “Elder, if you have the ability to release your dharma power and catch the monster so that my child can return to the court, you need not go worship Buddha in the West. You can let your hair grow again, for we will become bondbrothers with you. You may sit on the dragon couch with us and enjoy our riches together. How about it?”
“This poor monk,” said Tripitaka hurriedly, “knows a little of chanting the name of Buddha, but truly he does not know how to subdue monsters.” “If you don’t,” said the king, “how dare you go seek Buddha in the Western Heaven?” No longer able to hide the truth, the elder had to mention his two disciples. “Your Majesty,” he said, “your poor monk would find it very difficult indeed to come here if he were all by himself. I have, however, two disciples, most capable of opening up a pathway in the mountains and building bridges when we come upon the rivers. They have accompanied me here.”
“You are an insensitive monk,” said the king, chiding him. “If you have disciples, why did you not bring them to see us also? When they enter my court, even if we had no intention to reward them, we could provide at least some food.” Tripitaka said, “The disciples of this poor monk are rather ugly in their appearances, and they dare not enter the court without permission. For I fear that they might cause too great a shock to your Majesty.”
“Look at how this monk talks,” said the king with a laugh. “Do you think really that we’ll be afraid of them?” “It’s hard to tell,” said Tripitaka. “My elder disciple has the surname of Zhu, and his given names are Wuneng and Eight Rules. He has a long snout and fanglike teeth, tough bristles on the back of his head, and huge, fanlike ears. He is coarse and husky, and he causes even the wind to rise when he walks. My second disciple has the surname of Sha, and his religious names are Wujing and Monk. He is twelve feet tall and three span wide across his shoulders. His face is like indigo, his mouth, a butcher’s bowl; his eyes gleam and his teeth seem a row of nails. With looks like those, how could they dare enter the court without permission?” “Since you have now given them a thorough description,” said the king, “we wouldn’t be afraid of them. Summon them in.” He then gave the order that an invitation by a golden plaque should be sent at once to the post-house.
When Idiot saw the invitation, he said to Sha Monk, “Brother, you were saying previously that we should perhaps not deliver that letter. Now you can see what benefits delivering that letter can bring. It must be that after Master had delivered the letter, the king said that a messenger should not be lightly treated and insisted on giving a banquet for him. He has no stomach for that sort of thing, but at least he’s considerate toward the two of us by mentioning our names. That’s why a golden plaque has been sent to invite us. Let’s go and have a good meal then, and we can leave tomorrow.” “Elder Brother,” said Sha Monk, “we still don’t know the true reason for this. Let’s go and find out.” They therefore turned over the luggage and the horse to the care of the post-house master. Taking their weapons with them, they followed the golden plaque into court and went before the white jade steps. Standing on the left and on the right, they made one bow and then remained erect without moving again. Every member of those civil and military officials was deeply shaken. “These two monks,” they said, “are not only ugly, they are downright uncouth! How could they see our king and not prostrate themselves? After one bow, they just stand there and remain erect. It’s preposterous! It’s preposterous!” Eight Rules heard this and he said, “Don’t complain, all of you. That’s how we are! At first glance, we may appear ugly, but after awhile, you’ll get used to us.”
When the king saw how hideous they were, he was immediately frightened. By the time he heard what Idiot had said, he was shaking so hard that he fell down from his dragon couch. Fortunately, there were attendants nearby who took hold of him and helped him up. The Tang Monk was so terrified that he knelt before the court and kowtowed without ceasing, saying, “Your Majesty, this monk deserves ten thousand deaths, ten thousand deaths! I said that my disciples were ugly and that they should not be granted an audience because it might injure your dragon body. Now, they have indeed alarmed the Throne.” Still trembling, the king went forward to raise up the priest, saying, “Elder, it’s a good thing that you told me about them before. If you hadn’t, the sudden sight of them would have scared me to death!”
After he had calmed down, the king said, “Elder Zhu and Elder Sha, which one of you is good at subduing monsters?” Foolishly Idiot answered, “Old Hog knows how.” “In what way?” asked the king. “I am the Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds,” said Eight Rules. “Because I transgressed Heaven’s decree, I fell to the Region Below where luckily I could embrace the truth and become a monk. Since our journey from the Land of the East, I have been the one most capable of subduing monsters.” The king said, “If you are a celestial warrior who has descended to Earth, you must know very well the magic of transformation.” “I shouldn’t boast,” said Eight Rules, “but I do know a few little tricks.” “Try to change into something for me to have a look,” said the king. Eight Rules said, “Give me a subject, and I’ll change into its form.” The king said, “Change into something big, then.”
That Eight Rules happened to know thirty-six kinds of transformation. He stood before the steps and showed off his ability; making the magic sign with his fingers and reciting a spell, he shouted, “Grow!” He straightened his torso and at once attained the height of eighty or ninety feet just like a pathfinding deity. The two rows of civil and military officials shook in their boots; the ruler and the subjects of the entire kingdom were terror-stricken. One of the palace guardiangenerals managed to ask, “Elder, when will you stop growing? Is there a limit to your height?” Idiot could not refrain from spouting idiotic words. “It depends on the wind,” he said. “It’s all right if the east wind is blowing, and the west wind is okay, too. But if the south wind rises, I’ll bore a great hole in the blue sky!” Horrified, the king said, “Retrieve your magic. I know your power of transformation.” Squatting down, Eight Rules changed back into his original form at once and stood before the steps. “Elder,” asked the king once more, “what sort of weapons do you intend to bring with you to do battle on this expedition?” Eight Rules took out his muckrake and said, “What old Hog uses is a pronged rake.” “That’s shameful!” said the king with a chuckle. “We have here whips, maces, gilt bludgeons, mallets, scimitars, spears, halberds with crescentshaped blades, battle-axes, swords, halberds, lances, and battle sickles. You can pick anything you like and take it with you. How could you regard that rake of yours as a weapon?” “You have no idea about this, Your Majesty,” said Eight Rules. “This rake may seem a rather crude instrument, but it is one that has stayed with me since my youth. When I was commanding some eighty thousand sailors in the naval department at the Heavenly River, I relied solely on the strength of this rake. Now that I have descended to this mortal world to accompany my master, that which
Plows through the mountain dens of tigers and wolves
And overturns the water homes of dragons and snakes
is all the work of this rake!”
Most delighted and reassured by what he heard, the king turned to some of his ladies in the court, saying, “Bring me my own special wine. Take the whole bottle, in fact, so that we can send the elder off properly.” He then poured a goblet of it and presented it to Eight Rules, saying, “Elder, this cup of wine is for the labor you are about to undertake. Wait till you capture the monster and bring back our little girl. We shall have a huge banquet and a thousand pieces of gold to thank you.” Idiot took hold of the cup in his hands; though he was a rude and rowdy person, he could act courteously when he wanted to. Bowing deeply to Tripitaka, he said, “Master, you should be the first one to drink this wine. But since it is the king who bestows it on me, I dare not refuse. Please permit old Hog to drink this wine first. It should help inspire me to catch the monster.” Idiot drained the goblet with one gulp before filling it again to hand it to his master. Tripitaka said, “I don’t drink. You brothers may take it.” Sha Monk went forward to receive the cup, while the clouds sprouted beneath Eight Rules’s feet and lifted him straight into the air. When the king saw this, he said, “So Elder Zhu knows even cloud soaring!”
Idiot left, and after draining the goblet also with one gulp, Sha Monk said, “Master, when that Yellow Robe Fiend caught you, two of us could only battle him to a draw. If Second Brother goes by himself now, I fear that he may not be able to withstand him.” “You are right, disciple,” said Tripitaka. “You may go to lend him some assistance.” Hearing this, Sha Monk leaped up and left soaring on the clouds. The king became alarmed and caught hold of the Tang Monk, saying, “Elder, please sit with us for awhile. Don’t you go away too, soaring on the clouds.” The Tang Monk said, “Pity! Pity! I can’t even move half a step like that!” At this time, the two of them chatted in the palace, and we shall speak of them no further.
We tell you now about Sha Monk, who caught up with Eight Rules, saying, “Elder Brother, I’m here.” Eight Rules said, “Brother, why did you come?” “Master told me to come help you,” said Sha Monk. Highly pleased, Eight Rules said, “Well said, and welcome! United in our minds and efforts, the two of us can go catch that monster. It may not be much, but we’ll spread our fame a little in this kingdom.” Look at them:
Swathed in hallowed light they passed the kingdom’s edge;
Borne by auspicious air they left the capital.
They went by the king’s decree to the mountain cave
To catch with all diligence the monster-spirit.
In a little while, the two of them arrived at the mouth of the cave and lowered the direction of their clouds. Raising his rake, Eight Rules delivered a blow on the door of the Current-Moon Cave with all his might: at once a hole about the size of a barrel appeared in the stone door. The little fiends standing guard at the entrance were so startled that they opened the door immediately and found that it was the two monks. They ran inside to report, crying, “Great King, it’s terrible! The monk with a long snout and huge ears and the monk with the gloomiest complexion have returned and busted our door.”
Surprised, the monster said, “These two have to be Zhu Eight Rules and Sha Monk. I spared their master already. How dare they come back and wreck my door!” A little fiend said, “They must have left behind something and returned to get it.” “Rubbish!” cried the old fiend. “You leave something behind and then you go and break down someone’s door? There has to be another reason.” He quickly put on his armor, grasped his scimitar, and walked outside. “Monks,” he asked, “I have already spared your master. For what reason do you dare come back and break down my door?”
Eight Rules said, “You lawless monster, you have really done something all right!” “What?” asked the old demon. “You abducted the third princess of the Precious Image Kingdom to this cave and forced her to be your wife,” said Eight Rules. “It’s been thirteen years, about time that you give her up. I have been decreed by the king specially to capture you. Go inside quickly and come out again after tying yourself up. That’ll save old Hog from having to raise his hands.” When that old monster heard these words, he grew enraged. Look at him!
Noisily, he ground his teeth;
Round and round, his eyes glowered;
In fury, he lifted his scimitar;
With bloody thought, he slashed at the head.
Eight Rules stepped aside to dodge the blow and returned one with his pronged rake. Immediately, Sha Monk wielded his precious staff and rushed forward to join the battle. This conflict waged on the peak was different from the one before. Truly,
Wrong words and irksome speech arouse one’s wrath;
Malice and rancor make one’s anger grow.
The scimitar of this big demon king
Slashes at the head;
The nine-pronged rake of that Eight Rules
Confronts him at the face.
Sha Wujing unleashes the precious staff;
The demon king parries this weapon divine.
One savage fiend
And two godlike monks
Move back and forth, taking their time to fight!
This one says, “You defraud a nation and are worthy of death!”
That one says, “You’re wrongly indignant at someone’s affairs!”
This one says, “You raped a princess and brought her country shame!”
That one says, “It’s none of your business, so stop meddling!”
It is all because of a letter sent
That both monks and demon are not at peace.
They battled for eight or nine rounds before the mountain, and Eight Rules began to weaken steadily; he could hardly lift his rake and he was rapidly losing his strength. Why couldn’t he prevail against the monster, you ask? When they fought previously, you see, there were the dharma-protecting deities who gave the disciples secret assistance because of the Tang Monk’s presence in the cave. That was why they fought to a draw. At this time, however, all the gods had gone to the Precious Image Kingdom to guard the Tang Monk, and the two disciples by themselves could not withstand their adversary. Idiot said, “Sha Monk, you come up and fight with him for awhile. Let old Hog go shit first!” Not showing the slightest care for Sha Monk, he dove right into a thicket of bramble bushes; without regard for good or ill, without any concern that the thorns were pricking his face and tearing up his scalp, he rolled right inside and lay down, refusing to come out at all. Only half of his ear was left outside, so that he could hear the rattle10 and learn how the battle was faring.
When the monster saw that Eight Rules had run away, he went after Sha Monk. Completely flustered, Sha Monk did not even have time to try to escape, and he was seized by the monster and hauled back to the cave, where he was bound hand and foot behind his back by the little fiends. We do not know what will happen to his life; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.