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09 Old Gao's Village

When the squire had gone with his daughter, Wukong put forth his art, shook himself, and took on the shape of Cuilan, sitting alone in the room to wait for the demon. Before long a wild wind sprang up, sand flew and stones rolled, and out of midair dropped a long-snouted, big-eared demon in a gown of cloth neither blue nor black, with a flowered handkerchief tied about him. Wukong neither greeted him nor rose to meet him; he only watched the creature come grinning foolishly straight for the bed, and began to moan and groan as if he were ill. The demon could not tell true from false. He threw himself upon "her" and tried for a kiss. Wukong laughed inwardly and with a sleight of hand tumbled the creature off the bed. The demon grunted and climbed to his feet. "Sister, why did you throw me down? Is it because I came so late?" "It is not that. I am out of sorts today and a little vexed. Undress and come to bed." The demon undressed and got into bed. Wukong sighed and grumbled at his hard lot, until the demon grew impatient. "I have not eaten your family's rice for nothing. I built up a fine estate for you. Now you wear brocade and gold and lack for nothing. What is there to be discontented about?" "My parents are forever throwing bricks and tiles over the wall at me, blaming me for marrying an ugly monster like you. They do not know what family you come from, or even your surname and name. They say I have ruined my good name and disgraced the house. Such scolding wearies me to death." "I told you my history the day I first came to this house: I live at Cloud-Stack Cave on Mount Fuling, and my name is Zhu Ganglie. If your father plagues you again, answer him so." Wukong was secretly delighted to hear the demon give himself away without a question asked. "My father says he has sent for a mighty exorcist to take you," said Wukong. "You had best be careful." "Do not fear. I have thirty-six transformations and a nine-toothed rake — what have I to fear from any exorcist? Even if your father called down the Demon-Quelling Patriarch of the Ninth Heaven, he is an old acquaintance of mine and could do nothing to me." "They say the one he has sent for is Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, who wrecked the heavenly palace five hundred years ago." At this the demon turned pale with fright, got out of bed and began to dress, muttering, "Then we are no man and wife." Wukong made a show of holding him back. "This Bimawen who wrecked the heavenly palace has real power," said the demon urgently. "I doubt I could match him. Better not to meet him at all." The demon made for the door. Wukong caught him fast, wiped a hand across his face and resumed his true shape. "Fine demon!" he shouted. "Where do you think you are going? Look and see who I am." At the sight of Wukong's true shape, three of the demon's seven souls fled him. With a great ripping sound he burst out of his clothes, turned into a wild wind and bolted into the sky. Wukong sprang after him and swung his iron rod at the wind. The demon turned into ten thousand shafts of firelight and fled straight for Mount Fuling. Wukong rode a cloud in hot pursuit. The demon's firelight went before, Wukong's coloured cloud behind. At a high mountain the demon let the red light scatter, resumed his true shape, plunged into a cave dwelling, brought out a nine-toothed rake and turned to give battle.

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