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11 Flowing Sand River

The next morning the Tang Monk asked Wukong how to subdue the monster. "Bajie must go into the water again," Wukong said. Bajie grumbled, "You stand idle on the bank while I do the hard work." Wukong promised, "I won't be impatient today. Lure him ashore, and I'll block the bank and catch him." Bajie had no choice but to agree. He rubbed his face, braced himself, took his rake, and entered the water again, arriving at the monster's palace gate. The monster had just woken up. Hearing the water stir, he hurried out, saw Bajie, and cried, "Take this!" striking at his head. Bajie parried the staff and raked back. "You bring a funeral staff — come to deliver a corpse?" The monster said, "You wretch know no treasure. This is the monster-subduing staff; its thickness and length obey my will, a divine weapon with a spirit. How can it compare to your rusty rake for hoeing fields and digging vegetables?" Bajie laughed. "Rusty or not, one hit and you'll have nowhere to stick a plaster — all nine holes bleeding at once!" The two grappled, rake against staff, from the riverbed to the surface. After thirty-odd rounds there was still no winner. Bajie used a feigned-defeat trick and fled, dragging his rake. The monster pursued closely, but stopped when he reached the bank. Bajie cursed, "You monster! Dare you come ashore and fight me on solid ground?" The monster replied, "You trick me ashore so your helper can beat me. I won't fall for it again. If you have skill, come into the water and settle it!" Wukong was impatient and longed to seize the monster at once. Seeing that the monster would not come ashore, he somersaulted into the air and swooped down like a hungry eagle. The monster was arguing with Bajie when he felt wind overhead. Looking up, he saw Wukong descending from the sky; he hastily put away his staff and dived into the water, vanishing without a trace. Wukong hovered over the bank and said to Bajie, "This monster has grown cunning and won't come ashore. What can we do?" Bajie said, "I have no way either. In the water I used every ounce of strength and still couldn't beat him." The Tang Monk shed tears. "It seems we can never cross this Flowing-Sand River." Wukong said, "Master, don't grieve. There is always a way." Turning to Bajie, he said, "Guard Master well; I'll make a trip to the Southern Sea." Bajie asked why. Wukong said, "We protect Master on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures because Guanyin converted us. Now we are blocked at the Flowing-Sand River; only she can help." The Tang Monk said, "Since you are going to ask the Bodhisattva, do not delay; go quickly and return quickly." Wukong agreed, mounted his somersault cloud, and sped straight to the Southern Sea. In less than half an hour he saw Mount Potalaka. Wukong descended from his cloud and came to the Purple Bamboo Grove, where the thirty-four classes of heavenly beings came forward to ask his business. Wukong said, "My master is in trouble; I have come to beg an audience with the Bodhisattva. Please announce me." The duty gods went straight to the Tide-Sound Cave and reported, "Sun Wukong requests an audience." The Bodhisattva was leaning on the rail of the Lotus Pool with the Pearl-Holding Dragon Maiden, admiring the flowers. Hearing the report, she ordered Wukong to be admitted.

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