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10 Yellow Wind Ridge

It took all the Tang Monk's explaining before the old man's household could collect themselves. Greetings were exchanged, seats were given, and the old man had the young folk bring tea. "Reverend benefactor," asked the Tang Monk, "why did you say the scriptures in the Western Heaven are hard to fetch?" "Not hard to fetch," said the old man, "but the road is rough and hard to travel. Thirty li west of here lies the Yellow Wind Ridge, eight hundred li across, and it is full of demons. Without some uncommon power, no one gets past." "No matter," said Wukong. "With old Sun here and this brother of mine, whatever demons there are, they are beneath our notice." Then the vegetarian meal was set on the table. The Tang Monk folded his hands and said the grace, but Bajie had already swallowed a bowl and was shouting for more. At that one sitting he ate the whole family's rice clean up, and said he was only half full. That night they slept in the old man's guest room. At dawn next day the three ate breakfast and took their leave with thanks. "If anything goes amiss on the road," said the old man, "come back to my house." "We who have left the household do not walk back the way we came," said Wukong. And they bowed farewell and went west. Less than half a day's travel brought them to a high mountain: blue cliffs dyed into a thousand fathoms of jade, green gauze veiling ten thousand drifts of cloud. It was fearfully steep. They were still gazing at it when a whirlwind rose. "Wukong," said the Tang Monk in alarm, "there is something queer about this wind. Be careful." Wukong let the head of the wind go by and caught hold of its tail and smelled it; there was a raw, fishy reek about it. "No good wind, certainly," he said. "Some demon is at work." Before he had finished speaking, a striped tiger came roaring down off the mountain. The Tang Monk's soul scattered in terror and he tumbled from his horse. Bajie flung down the baggage, snatched up his rake and shouted, "Beast! Where do you think you are going?" and ran at it to strike. But the tiger reared straight up on its hind legs, hooked its left forepaw into its chest and ripped downward. With a great tearing sound the skin came away, and there in its place by the roadside stood a demon of savage aspect. "Hold!" cried the demon. "I am the Vanguard of the Road Ahead under the Yellow Wind King, sent to patrol this mountain and take a few mortals to go with the wine. What monk are you, to raise a weapon against me?" "Beast!" Bajie cursed him. "I am a disciple of Tripitaka of the great Tang in the east, sent by imperial decree to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures in the Western Heaven. Give way at once and I will spare your life; oppose me and this rake will show no mercy." At this the demon sprang at Bajie and clawed for his face. Bajie dodged and swung his rake. The demon had no weapon and could not hold him, so he left an opening and fled, with Bajie hard behind him. At a heap of tumbled rocks he drew out two blades of red copper and turned to fight, and there on the slope the two fell to it. Wukong supported the Tang Monk. "Do not be afraid, Master. Old Sun will help Bajie knock this demon down, and then we can be on our way." The Tang Monk, still badly shaken, could only go on reciting the Heart Sutra. Bajie fought ever more fiercely, and the demon could no longer strike back. Wukong raised his rod and went in, and together they drove the demon down the mountain.

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