We tell you now about those worshippers from the Chen Village, who carried Pilgrim and Eight Rules, along with various offerings of livestock, straight to the Temple of Numinous Power. The virgin boy and girl were placed on top of the offerings. Pilgrim turned his head and saw that there were incense, flowers, and candles on the offering tables, in the middle of which there was also a tablet inscribed in gold letters with the title: “God of the Great King of Numinous Power.” There was no other image of any deity. After the worshippers had set out everything properly, they knelt down and kowtowed toward the tablet, saying in unison, “Great King Father, in this year, this month, this day, and this hour, Chen Cheng, the one in charge of the sacrifice and the leader of all the faithfuls of the Chen Village, young and old, does follow our annual custom and offer to you a virgin boy by the name of Chen Guanbao and a virgin girl by the name of One Load of Gold. Hogs and sheep in the same number are presented to you also for your enjoyment. We pray that you will grant us rain and wind in due season and a rich harvest of the five grains.” After they made this invocation, they burned paper money and horses before returning to their houses.
When Eight Rules saw that the people had dispersed, he said to Pilgrim, “Let’s go home, too.” “Where’s your home?” asked Pilgrim. Eight Rules said, “I want to go back to old Chen’s house to sleep.” “Idiot,” said Pilgrim, “you are babbling again! If you have agreed to do this for him, you have got to finish the job.” “You call me an idiot,” said Eight Rules. “Aren’t you the real idiot? We were supposed to have some fun with the Chens and fool with them a bit. You can’t be serious that you want us sacrificed?” “If we help someone,” said Pilgrim, “we must help him to the end. We must wait until that Great King arrives and devours us before we can consider a perfect end to our efforts! If he has no sacrifice, he will send calamities to the village, and that will not be right.”
As he spoke, they heard the wind howl outside. “O dear!” said Eight Rules. “When the wind blows like that, it must mean that the thing is here!” “Shut up!” cried Pilgrim. “Let me do the talking!” In a moment, a fiend arrived at the door of the temple. Look at the way he appears:
Gold helmet and cuirass both bright and new;
A treasure sash like red clouds wrapped his waist.
His eyes seemed big stars blazing in the night;
His teeth resembled those of a heavy saw.
Waves of mists did encircle both his legs,
And steamy fog surrounded all his frame.
He walked and a cold wind stirred repeatedly;
He stood and baleful aura rose in tiers.
He looked like the Curtain-Raising Captain
Or the great god of a monastery’s gate.
Standing right at the doorway, the fiend asked, “Which family this year is providing the sacrifice?” Laughing merrily, Pilgrim said, “Thank you for asking! Those in charge are Chen Cheng and Chen Qing.” Puzzled by this answer, the fiend thought to himself, “This virgin boy is not only bold, but also articulate. Usually the victims in the past could not even reply to the first question, and they would be frightened out of their wits at the second one. By the time I seized them with my hands, they would already be as good as dead. How is it that this virgin boy today can still respond so intelligently?” Not bold enough to seize his prey immediately, the fiend asked once more, “What are the names of the boy and the girl?” With a laugh, Pilgrim said, “The virgin boy is called Chen Guanbao, and the virgin girl is called One Load of Gold.” “This sacrifice,” said the fiend, “happens to be an annual custom. Now that you have been offered to me, I’m going to eat you.” “I dare not resist you,” said Pilgrim. “Please feel free to enjoy yourself.” When the fiendish creature heard this, he was even more reluctant to raise his hands. Standing there in the doorway, he shouted, “Don’t you dare be impudent! In years past I would eat the virgin boy first. But this year, I’m going to eat the virgin girl first.” “O Great King,” said Eight Rules, horrified, “please follow the old way! Don’t eat by breaking a usual custom!”
Without permitting further discussion, the fiend stretched out his hands to seize Eight Rules. With a bound Idiot leaped down from the offering table and changed back into his true form. Whipping out his rake, he brought it down hard on the hands of the fiend. The fiend retreated hurriedly and tried to flee, but not before the blow of Eight Rules sent something to the ground with a clang. “I’ve punctured his armor!” shouted Eight Rules. As he changed back into his true form also, Pilgrim stepped forward to have a look and found that there were two fish scales about the size of ice dishes. “Chase him!” he yelled, and the two of them leaped into the air. Since that creature thought he was coming to a feast, he brought no weapon along. With bare hands he stood on the edge of the clouds and asked, “Monks, where did you come from? How dare you come to oppress me here, rob me of my offerings, and ruin my name?” “So, you’re an ignorant, brazen creature!” said Pilgrim. “We are disciples of the holy monk Tripitaka from the Great Tang in the Land of the East, who was sent by royal decree to go to the Western Heaven for scriptures. When we stayed with the Chen family last night, we heard that there was a perverse demon who falsely assumed the title of Numinous Power. Every year he demands a virgin boy and a virgin girl as sacrifice. In compassion we wanted to save lives and arrest you, you lawless creature. Confess at once. How many years have you called yourself Great King of this place, and how many boys and girls have you devoured? Give us a detailed account, and we may spare your life.” When that fiend heard these words, he turned and fled immediately. Eight Rules tried to strike at him again with the muckrake but did not succeed, for the fiend changed into a violent gust of wind that faded into the Heaven-Reaching River.
“No need to chase him anymore,” said Pilgrim. “This fiend has to be a creature of the river. Let’s wait till tomorrow before we try to catch him and ask him to take Master across the river.” Eight Rules agreed and both of them returned to the temple and hauled all the offerings and livestock, including the tables on which they were laden, back to the Chen house. At that time, the elder, Sha Monk, and the Chen brothers were all waiting for some news of them, when suddenly, they saw the two disciples dumping the sacrificial animals and offerings in the courtyard. “Wukong,” said Tripitaka, going forward to meet them, “how did the sacrifice go?” Pilgrim gave a thorough account of how they revealed their names and how the fiend disappeared into the river. The two old men were most pleased, and they at once gave the order for rooms to be made ready and bedding laid out for master and disciples to rest. There we shall leave them for the moment.
We tell you instead about that fiend, who escaped with his life and went back to his water palace. After he sat down, he fell completely silent for such a long time that his watery kinsfolk, young and old, all gathered about him to ask, “Great King, you are usually quite happy when you come home after the sacrifice. Why is it that you seem so annoyed this year?” “After I’ve satisfied myself in past years,” said the fiend, “I usually managed to bring some leftovers for you to enjoy. Today, however, not even I myself got anything to eat. I was so unlucky that I ran into an adversary and almost lost my life.” “Which adversary was that, Great King?” they asked. The fiend said, “A disciple of a holy monk of the Great Tang in the Land of the East, who was on his way to seek scriptures from Buddha in the Western Heaven. He took on the form of a virgin girl, while another disciple became the boy, both sitting in the temple. When they changed back into their original forms, I was nearly killed by the two of them. I have long heard that Tripitaka Tang happened to be a good man who had been practicing self-cultivation for ten incarnations. To eat even one piece of his flesh would prolong one’s life indefinitely, but I didn’t realize that he had such disciples under him. Not only has my reputation been ruined by them, but also the offerings due me were taken away. I would like very much to catch hold of that Tang Monk, but I fear that I may not be able to.”
From among the watery kinsfolk stepped a stripe-coated perch-mother who wriggled and bowed toward the fiend, saying with a smile, “Great King, if you want to catch the Tang Monk, it isn’t difficult at all. But I wonder if you would be willing to reward me with some wine and meat once you catch hold of him.” “If you could devise a plan and succeed in capturing the Tang Monk,” said the fiend, “I would become your bond-brother. We two shall share the same table to feast on him.” After thanking him, the perch-mother said, “I’ve known for a long time that the Great King possesses the magic to summon winds and rains and to stir up seas and rivers. May I ask whether you are able to cause snow to descend?” “Of course,” said the fiend. She asked again, “How about making ice and causing things to freeze over?” The fiend said, “Certainly.” “In that case,” said the perch-mother, clapping her hands and laughing, “it’s most easy! It’s most easy!” “Tell me what it is that’s most easy,” said the fiend.
The perch-mother said, “When it is about the hour of the third watch this night, the Great King should exercise his power without any further delay. Call up a cold wind and send down a great snowfall so that the entire HeavenReaching River will be solidly frozen. Those of us capable of transformation will assume human forms: carrying luggage, holding umbrellas, and pushing carts, we will follow the direction of the main road to the West and walk continuously on the ice on top of the river. That Tang Monk must be rather impatient to get to the scriptures, and when he sees people walking about like that, he too will want to cross the river by walking on the ice. The Great King can sit quietly at the heart of the river; as soon as you hear the sound of their footsteps, crack open the ice so that he and his disciples will fall into the water. All of them will be captured then.” When that fiend heard these words, he was exceedingly pleased. “Marvelous! Marvelous!” he cried, and he left his water residence at once to rise into the air. There he began to raise up a cold wind to bring snow and to cause everything to freeze up, but we shall mention him no further.
We tell you now instead about the Tang elder and his disciples, the four of them, sleeping in the Chen household. Just before dawn, all of them began to feel the chill even inside their blankets and their pillows turning cold. Sneezing and shivering, Eight Rules could no longer sleep, and he called out, “Elder Brother, it’s very cold!” “Idiot, why don’t you grow up!” said Pilgrim. “Those who have left the family cannot be touched by heat or cold. How could you be afraid of the cold?” Tripitaka said, “Disciple, it is indeed cold. Look! Even the
Heavy quilts provide no warmth,
And hands in sleeves feel like ice.
Presently frost buds dangle from withered leaves,
And icy bells form on the hoary pines.
The ground cracks for the severe cold;
The pond’s level as the water’s frozen.
No old fisher is seen on any boat,
Nor a monk at the mountain temple.
Wood is scarce and the woodman’s sad;
Charcoals added, and the noble’s glad.
The soldier’s beard is like iron;
The poet’s brush is all hardened.
A leather coat still seems too thin;
A fur robe feels even too light.
On straw mats old priests turn stiff;
By paper screens no traveler can sleep.
Though brocade covers are heavy,
Your whole body shivers and shakes!”
Neither master nor disciples could sleep any longer; they scrambled up, and after putting on their clothes they opened the door to look outside. Ah! It was completely white, for it was snowing. “No wonder you were complaining of the cold,” said Pilgrim. “It’s snowing heavily!” The four of them stared at it. Marvelous snow! You see
Dark clouds densely formed—
Gray fog thickly gathered—
Dark clouds densely formed,
As a frigid wind howls throughout the sky;
Gray fog densely gathered,
As a great snowfall covers the earth.
Truly it is like
A flower that blooms six times,
Each petal a precious jasper;
Or a thousand-tree forest,
Each plant bedecked with jade.
In a moment: piles of flour!
In an instant: heaps of salt!
The white parrot has lost its essence;
The frosty crane can’t boast of its cost.
You add to all rivers of Wu and Chu
Or press down plum blossoms of the southeast.
Now it seems like vanquished jade dragons, some three million strong—
Indeed like torn scales and ripped armor flying through the air.
Where can one find Dongguo’s shoes,1
Yuan An’s resting place,2
Or the glow by which Sun Kang studied?3
Nor can one see Ziyou’s boat,4
Wang Gong’s robe,5
Or blankets which fed Su Wu.6
All you have are some village huts of silver bricks,
And a country side kneaded out of jade.
Marvelous snow—
Willow fleeces o’erspreading bridges;
Pear blossoms coating houses.
Willow fleeces o’erspreading bridges
As a fisher hangs up his coir-coat by the bridge;
Pear blossoms coating houses
As wild codgers burn tree roots in houses.
The guests find it hard to buy wine;
The old servant can’t find the plums.
Flitting and fluttering like butterfly wings;
Drifting and soaring like goose down;
Churning and rolling it follows the wind;
In heaps and mounds it hides the roads.
In waves the chilly might pierces the screens;
Soughing, the cold air penetrates the drapes.
A good year’s fine omens drop from the sky
To wish humans in their affairs success.
That snow came down fluttering, like flying threads of silk and finely cut chips of jade. After master and disciples gazed at it for a while, admiring its beauty, they saw the elder Chen approaching as two houseboys swept open a path. Two more brought along hot water for them to wash their faces, after which others presented hot tea and milk cakes. Then they carried charcoal fires into the parlor and invited master and disciples to sit inside. “Old Benefactor,” asked the elder, “may I inquire whether the seasons of your region are divided into spring, summer, autumn, and winter?” With a smile, the elder Chen said, “Though ours is a rather out-of-the-way region, only our people and our customs are different from those of a noble nation. But all the grains and livestock share the benefits of the same Heaven and the same sun. How could the four seasons be lacking?” “If so,” said Tripitaka, “how is it that we have such a great snowfall at this time of the year and such a terrible cold?” The elder Chen said, “Though this is only the seventh month, we just passed White Dew7 yesterday, and that means that we are approaching the eighth month. In this place of ours, we have frost and snow during the eighth month.” “That’s quite different from our Land of the East,” said Tripitaka, “for we never have snow back there until winter actually arrives.”
As they conversed, the servants came forward once more to set the tables for them to dine on rice gruel. After the meal, the snow fell even more heavily, and soon it was two feet deep on the ground. Growing more and more anxious, Tripitaka began to weep. “Venerable Father, please do not worry,” said the elder Chen. “Please don’t let the deep snow bother you. We have stored up in our house a considerable amount of food, and, I dare say, sufficient to feed all of you for quite a long time.” Tripitaka said, “You don’t understand my sorrow, Old Benefactor. In that past year when I was entrusted with the decree to acquire scriptures, His Majesty personally escorted me outside the capital. With his own hand holding the goblet to toast me, the Tang emperor asked me, ‘When can you return?’ Not having any idea of the dangers of mountains and waters, this humble priest replied rather casually, ‘After three years I shall be able to return to our nation with the scriptures.’ Since we parted, it has been seven or eight years, and I have yet to see the face of Buddha. I have great fear that I might have exceeded the imperial limit, and I also am troubled by the viciousness of demons and monsters. Today it is my good fortune to live in your great mansion. After the small service rendered you by my foolish disciples last night, I had hopes that I could ask you for a boat to cross the river. Little did I expect that Heaven would send down this great snowfall to block and cover all the roads. Now I wonder when I would attain my goal and be able to return home.” “Relax, Venerable Father,” said the elder Chen, “for after all, many days of your journey have passed already. It does not matter if you spend a few more days here. When the weather clears and the ice melts, this old moron will see to it that you cross the river, even if I have to exhaust my wealth to do it.”
Just then, a houseboy came to invite them to breakfast. After they finished that in the front hall, they hardly had time to converse when lunch was served also. Troubled by the sight of the elaborately prepared meal, Tripitaka said in great earnestness, “If you are kind enough to take us in, you must treat us as ordinary members of the family.” “Venerable Father,” said elder Chen, “we are deeply indebted to you for saving our children’s lives. Even if we were to feast you every day, we could never repay you sufficiently.”
Thereafter the snow stopped, and people soon began to come and go once more. When the elder Chen saw how unhappy Tripitaka appeared to be, he asked that the garden be swept out. After a huge brazier with fire was sent for, he invited the whole party to spend some time in a snow cave. “This old fellow doesn’t quite use his head!” said Eight Rules, laughing. “One can admire the garden in the second or the third month during the time of spring. But after such a big snowfall, and it’s so cold now, what’s there for us to admire?” Pilgrim said,
“Idiot, you are ignorant! The scenery of snow quite naturally has a mysterious
calm, something which not only we can enjoy but which also can console our master.” “Exactly! Exactly!” said the elder Chen. Following his beckoning, they went to the garden and they saw
A scenery of late autumn,
When prospects of La8 appeared.
Jadelike buds formed on hoary pines;
Silver blooms hung on lifeless willows.
Jade-moss beneath the steps heaped up powder;
Bamboos before the window sprouted jasper roots.
On artificial mountains—
In domestic fish ponds—
On artful rockeries
Pointed peaks were ranged like shoots of jade;
In garden fish ponds
The clear, running water became ice trays.
By the banks the color of hibiscus faded
And their tender twigs all drooped near the ridge.
Begonia plants
Were completely crushed;
Winter-plum trees
Brought forth new branches.
The peony arbor,
The pomegranate arbor,
And the cassia arbor—
Every arbor was piled high with goose down;
The place of enjoyment,
The place of entertainment,
The place of amusement—
Each place was covered with butterfly wings.
Two fences of chrysanthmum: white jade framed in gold;
A few maple trees: lovely red lined with white.
Since countless courtyards were too cold to reach,
You might admire the snow cave chilly as ice.
Inside sat a beast-face brazier with elephant legs,
In which a hot charcoal fire had just begun.
All around were some lacquered armchairs draped with tiger skins
By the paper windows set so warm and soft.
Inside the cave, there were hung on walls several old paintings by famous hands, the themes of which all had to do with
Seven worthies going through the pass,9
A cold river’s lonely fisher,10
The scenes of snow-bound mountain plateaus;
Su Wu feeding on his blanket,
Breaking a plum-twig for the mailman,11
And frigid art wrought by trees and plants of jade.
You can’t begin to describe
The house by the waters where fishes are easily bought,
Or how scarce is wine when snow buries the roads.
Truly this is a place most worthy to linger in.
Think of it, and you needn’t visit Penghu.12
After they had admired the scenery for a long while, they sat down in the snow cave and chatted with some of the aged neighbors on the matter of acquiring scriptures. When they finished drinking some fragrant tea, the elder Chen asked again, “Would the several Venerable Fathers take some wine?” “This humble cleric does not drink,” said Tripitaka, “but my disciples may drink a few cups of vegetarian wine.” Delighted, the elder Chen at once gave the order: “Bring fruits and vegetables, and warm the wine. We would like to help our guests ward off the chill.” The houseboys and servants brought forth tables and small braziers for heating the wine. The pilgrims and the neighbors each drank a few cups before the utensils were taken away.
Soon it was dusk, and they were taken back to the front hall again for dinner. Just then, someone walking on the street was heard saying, “What chilly weather! Even the Heaven-Reaching River is frozen!” On hearing this, Tripitaka said, “Wukong, if the river is frozen, what shall we do?” “This sudden cold,” said the elder Chen, “must have frozen only the shallow parts of the river near the bank.” But the man walking on the street was saying, “All eight hundred miles across the river are so solidly frozen that its surface is smooth like a mirror. Even people are walking on it.” When Tripitaka heard that there were people walking on the river, he immediately wanted to go and look. “Please be patient, Venerable Father,” said the elder Chen, “for it’s getting late now. We shall go tomorrow.” They took leave of the neighbors, and after dinner, they rested in the parlors as they had the night before.
When they arose the next morning, Eight Rules said, “Elder Brother, last night was even colder. The river, I suppose, must be solidly frozen.” Facing the door, Tripitaka knelt down and bowed toward Heaven, saying, “All you great Guardians of the Faith, your disciple has with complete sincerity resolved to journey to the West to see Buddha. Throughout the bitter experience of traversing mountains and streams, I have never once complained. Having reached this place, I thank Heaven for providing assistance by freezing the river. Your disciples therefore wish to offer you our thanksgiving first. After we have acquired the scriptures, we shall inform the Tang emperor so that he may repay this favor of yours with all due reverence.” After he finished praying, he ordered Wujing immediately to saddle the horse so that they could walk on the ice to cross the river. “Please be patient,” said the elder Chen again. “Wait for a few days until the snow and ice melt away. This old moron will prepare a boat to take you across.” “I don’t think we should settle on staying or leaving,” said Sha Monk, “for what we hear is not as reliable as what we see. Let me saddle the horse, but Master should go personally to the river to have a look.” “You are right,” said the elder Chen. “Little ones, go and saddle six horses at once. But don’t saddle Father Tang’s horse yet.”
With six houseboys following, all of them went to the bank of the river to look. Truly there were
Snow piles rising up like hills,
As sunlight broke up the clouds of dawn.
The southern border froze to turn barren all peaks;
Ice formed to make lakes and rivers flat and smooth.
The wind was cold and biting;
The ground was hard and slippery.
Pond fishes cuddled dense weeds;
Wild birds hugged dead branches.
Travelers abroad all lost their fingers;
The river boatman’s teeth madly chattered.
Snake bellies split;
Bird feet snapped.
Truly the icebergs rose a thousand feet tall.
Cold silver floated in countless ravines;
The whole river seemed one cold piece of jade.
The East might think that they produced silkworms,
But the North in truth had their caves of rats.
Here Wang Xiang lay;13
Here Guangwu crossed.14
In one night e’en the river bottom all hardened!
The winding stream formed jagged layers;
The deep river turned frozen blocks.
Not a ripple throughout the water’s width,
It seemed a road on land, just bright and smooth.
When Tripitaka and the others came up to the river’s edge, they stopped the horses to look, and true enough, there were people walking on to the ice from the main road. “Benefactor,” said Tripitaka, “where are those people going on the ice?” The elder Chen said, “On the far side of the river is the Western Kingdom of Women, and these people must be traders. Things worth a hundred pennies on our side can fetch a hundred times more over there, and their things worth a hundred pennies can similarly fetch a handsome price over here. In view of such heavy profits, it is understandable that people want to make this journey without regard for life or death. Usually, five or seven people, and the number may even swell to more than ten, will crowd into a boat to cross the river. When they see that the river is frozen now, they are risking everything to try to cross it on foot.” “Profit and fame,” said Tripitaka, “are regarded as most important in the affairs of the world; for profit, men would give up their own lives. But the fact that this disciple strives so hard to fulfill the imperial decree may also be taken as his quest for fame. Am I so different really from those people?” He turned around and said, “Wukong, go quickly back to our Benefactor’s home and pack. Saddle up the horse, too. Let’s make use of the ice and leave for the West at once.” Smiling broadly, Pilgrim obeyed.
“O Master,” said Sha Monk, “the proverb says, ‘In a thousand days, you only eat a thousand pecks of rice.’ You are already indebted to the hospitality of Mr. Chen. Why not stay a few more days and wait until the weather turns warmer, when we can cross with a boat? Otherwise, I fear that all this hurry may cause us to make mistakes.” “Wujing,” said Tripitaka, “how could you be so unthinking? If this were during the second month of the year, one might well expect the weather to warm up day by day and the snow to melt eventually. But this is after all the eighth month, and it will grow colder and colder from now on. How could you expect the ice to break so readily? If we were to wait, wouldn’t our trip be delayed, perhaps even up to half a year?”
Leaping down from the horse, Eight Rules said, “Stop arguing, all of you, and let old Hog test it to see what’s the thickness of the ice.” “Idiot,” said Pilgrim, “you threw a stone the other night and succeeded in testing the depth of the water. But the ice now is solid and heavy. How could you test it?” “Elder Brother,” said Eight Rules, “you don’t realize that I can give the ice a blow with my rake. If it breaks open, it will be too thin for us to walk on, but if it does not, it will be thick enough. There’s no reason for us not to want to walk on it.” “Yes,” said Tripitaka, “what you said is quite reasonable.” Hitching up his robe and walking forward in great strides, Idiot went to the edge of the river. He raised the muckrake high with both hands and brought it down with all his might. A loud thud could be heard and nine white marks were left on the ice, while Idiot’s hands were momentarily numbed by the impact. “You can walk on it! You can walk on it!” said he, laughing. “Even the bottom is solid!”
When Tripitaka heard this, he was very pleased. He went back hurriedly to the Chen household and all he could say was that they had to leave at once. When those two old men found that all their earnest pleas for him to remain fell only on deaf ears, they had no alternative but to prepare some such dried food as baked biscuits and breads to give to the pilgrims. As the whole family came out to kowtow to them, the old men also brought out a tray of gold and silver. Going to their knees, they said, “We thank you again, Venerable Fathers, for saving our children. Please take this, just for a meal on your way.” Shaking his head and waving his hand, Tripitaka refused to accept it, saying, “This humble monk is a person who has left the family. I have no need of money. Even if I were to keep it, I wouldn’t dare use it on our way, for begging is our proper means of livelihood. It is more than enough for us to take the dried goods.” The two old men pleaded with him again and again; so Pilgrim stuck his finger into the tray and lifted up a tiny piece, approximately as heavy as four or five drams, which he handed over to the Tang Monk, saying, “Master, keep it as their offering so that these two will not be too disappointed.”
They thus said farewell and the pilgrims went to the river, but when the horse stepped onto the ice, it began to slip and slide and Tripitaka was almost thrown off its back. “Master,” shouted Sha Monk, “we can’t go!” “Stop for a moment,” said Eight Rules, “and let’s ask Mr. Chen for some straw.” “What for?” asked Pilgrim. Eight Rules replied, “You wouldn’t have any idea about this! The straw will be used to wrap up the hoofs of the horse, so that Master won’t fall down.” When the elder Chen heard on the shore what Eight Rules said, he told someone to fetch the straw at once. After the Tang Monk returned to the bank and dismounted, Eight Rules wrapped all four hoofs of the horse with straw and that enabled it to step on the ice without slipping.
Having taken leave of the Chen clan at the edge of the river, they proceeded for no more than three or four miles when Eight Rules handed the nine-ringed priestly staff to the Tang Monk, saying, “Master, put this across your saddle.” “Idiot,” said Pilgrim, “don’t be so sly! You’re supposed to carry this priestly staff. Why are you asking Master to do it?” “Since you have no experience in walking on ice,” said Eight Rules, “you will not think of this. Even the thickest of ice has holes; step on one of them and you will plunge into the water. Without something like this held crosswise, you will sink rapidly while the ice above closes in like a huge wok cover. You can never crawl out again unless you have something like this to stop your fall.” Snickering, Pilgrim said to himself, “This Idiot must have walked on ice for years!” So, all of them followed what Eight Rules told them to do: the elder held the staff crosswise across his saddle; Pilgrim and Sha Monk each carried his iron rod and his fiend-routing treasure staff across his shoulders. Eight Rules, who was poling the luggage, tied the rake sideways at his waist. Master and disciples then felt perfectly safe to proceed.
They journeyed until evening; after eating some dried goods, they dared not stop at all. As the stars and the moon lighted up the ice, turning it into brilliant patches of white, they pressed forward. Indeed, the horse never stopped trotting for the entire night; master and disciples never once closed their eyes. By morning, they ate some more of their provisions and again set out toward the West. As they journeyed, a rending sound came from the bottom of the ice, so frightening the white horse that it almost fell. Greatly astonished, Tripitaka said, “O Disciples, why was there such a sound?” “This river is so solidly frozen,” said Eight Rules, “that the ice formed from top to bottom must be grating the river bed. That may be the sound we heard.” Astonished but pleased by what he was told, Tripitaka urged his horse on and they started out once more.
We now tell you about that fiend, who led various spirits from the water residence and sat waiting for a long time beneath the ice. Finally, when the sound of the horse’s hoofs became audible, he at once exercised his magic power and caused the ice to break open. The Great Holy Sun managed to leap at once into the air, but his three companions and the white horse all plunged into the water.
After catching hold of Tripitaka, the fiend led the spirits back to the water residence, where he shouted aloud, “Where are you, perch-sister?” The old perch-mother met him at the door, bowing, and said, “Great King, I’m not worthy of it!” “Worthy Sister, why do you say that?” said the fiend. “For ‘Even a team of horses cannot overtake the word that has left my mouth!’ I promised you that if your plan could enable me to catch the Tang Monk, I would become your bond-brother. Today your marvelous plan did materialize, and the Tang Monk had been caught. You think I would retract my promise?” He then gave the order, “Little ones, bring out the tables and the sharp knives. Cut up this monk: take out his heart, skin him, and debone him. Meanwhile, start the music. I’m going to share him with my worthy Sister, so that both of us will gain longevity.” “Great King,” said the perch-mother, “let’s not eat him yet, for I fear that his disciples may spoil our party should they come here to search for him. Wait a couple of days, and if no one appears, we can then cut him up. Great King can take your honored seat, while the watery kinsfolk can surround you with singing and dancing. His flesh will be presented to you, and you can take your time to enjoy your feast. Isn’t that much better?” The fiend agreed; the Tang Monk was placed in a lidded stone box about six feet long which was then hidden in the rear of the palace, and we shall speak no more of him for the moment.
We tell you now about Eight Rules and Sha Monk, who managed to recover the luggage in the water. After they had placed it on the white horse, they opened up a path in the water and trod on the waves to rise to the surface. Pilgrim saw them from midair and asked at once, “Where is Master?” “He changed his family name to Sink,”15 said Eight Rules, “and his given name is To-the-Bottom. We don’t know where to look for him. Let’s get to shore before we decide what to do.” Eight Rules, you see, happened to be the incarnation of the Marshal of Heavenly Reeds, who in past years was a commander of eighty thousand marines stationed in the Heavenly River. Sha Monk came from the FlowingSand River, and the white horse, too, was the descendant of Dragon King of the Western Ocean. That was why all of them felt so comfortable in the water. Led by the Great Sage in the air, they soon returned to the eastern shore, where they brushed down the horse and stripped themselves of their wet garments. After the Great Sage dropped down from the clouds, they went together to the Chen Village. At once someone went to make this report to the two old men: “Four Fathers went to seek the scriptures, but only three have come back.” The two brothers went quickly out the door to receive them, and they found the clothing of the pilgrims still dripping wet.
“Venerable Fathers,” they said, “we pleaded with you to stay and you refused. You would stop only when you came to this! Now, where is Father Tripitaka?” Eight Rules said, “He’s no longer named Tripitaka, for he has changed it to Sink To-the-Bottom.” As tears fell, the two old men said, “How pitiful! How pitiful! We said we would prepare a boat for him to cross the river, but he absolutely refused and that cost him his life.” “Old fellow,” said Pilgrim, “it’s no use worrying for the dead. But I have a hunch that Master is going to live for a long time yet. Old Monkey knows! It has to be that Great King of Numinous Power, who has planned all this and abducted him. Don’t worry now. Wash our clothes for us and dry our rescript. Make sure our white horse is fed, and let us brothers go and find that fellow. We will not only rescue our master, but we will root out also this evil for your entire village, so that you will be able to live peacefully forever.” When the two brothers heard these words, they were delighted and asked for food for the pilgrims at once.
After the three brothers had a big meal, they gave the horse and the luggage to the Chen family to look after. Each wielding his own weapon, they went straight to the river to search for their master and seize the fiend. Truly
Wrong to walk on thick ice, nature is hurt.
What’s perfection when great elixir leaks?
We do not know in what way they succeeded in rescuing the Tang Monk, and you must listen to the explanation in the next chapter.