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09 Old Gao's Village

"What evil spirit are you, and how do you know my name?" Wukong shouted. "Speak quickly, and I will spare your life." "Let me show you my power! Stand firm and listen well!" In his youth this demon had chanced upon a true immortal and followed him to study the Way. When his merit was complete and his practice fulfilled he attained to immortality, and the Jade Emperor made him Marshal Tianpeng, to rule the Heavenly River and command its water soldiery. When the Queen Mother threw open the Peach Banquet and feasted her guests at the Jade Pool, Marshal Tianpeng drank himself dead drunk. In his cups he blundered into the Palace of Vast Cold, and seeing how lovely Chang'e was, his heart was stirred; he caught hold of her and would not let her be. The Censor Spirit-Official reported it to the Jade Emperor, who flew into a rage and sent his gods to haul Marshal Tianpeng up to the Hall of Lingxiao. By the law the crime deserved death, but Taibai Jinxing stepped forward to plead for him; the sentence was changed to two thousand heavy blows, and then he was cast down from the heavenly gates. But at the foot of Mount Fuling he blundered into a sow's womb, and so came by the shape he wears today. "So you are the water god Tianpeng, come down to earth," said Wukong with a laugh. "No wonder you know old Sun's name." "You Bimawen," said the demon bitterly, "when you wrecked the heavenly palace all those years ago you brought trouble on a good many of us. And now you come to bully me as well!" He raised his rake and struck. Wukong met him with his rod. Here was the Great Sage come down to the mortal world, and there was a marshal fallen to the world's end; one with a rake like a dragon's clawing talon, one with a rod like a phoenix threading the flowers. Neither would yield, and at first they fought as evenly matched. From the second watch they fought until the east grew pale. Wukong grew ever fiercer, but the demon's arms grew numb and sore and his breathing came like thunder; little by little he could hold out no longer. He feinted with the rake, turned into a wild wind, darted into the cave, slammed the gate and would not come out again. Wukong saw a stone tablet by the cave mouth bearing the three words "Cloud-Stack Cave". Day had fully broken, and fearing his master would be anxious, he decided to go back first and look to him, then come again and take the demon. So he trod the clouds back to Gao Village. The Tang Monk and the old men had grown anxious, and were glad to see Wukong return. He told them what had passed. "That is no common evil spirit of this world, but Marshal Tianpeng come down to earth. Ugly and strange as he looks, his native spirit is still sound." Squire Gao begged Wukong to do away with him. "He made you a good part of your fortune," said Wukong with a laugh, "and he has not harmed your daughter. Besides, he is a heavenly god come down, and a fit enough match for your house. Why not keep him?" But the squire pleaded and pleaded, and the Tang Monk added his own entreaty, until Wukong gave way. At the mouth of Cloud-Stack Cave Wukong smashed the gate in two or three blows and stormed in, shouting, "Stupid pig! Come out and taste old Sun's rod!" The demon was inside, panting and resting. To see Wukong break in upon him sent his rage flaring; he armed himself from head to foot, dragged out his rake and came to meet him, cursing. "Bimawen, heaven damn you! You have wrecked my marriage and broken down my gate — you go too far! Take this!" "You dolt, forcing yourself on a decent man's daughter," Wukong jeered. "You wave about a rake fit for turning the soil and planting cabbages, and expect me to be frightened?"

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