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12 The Ginseng Fruit

Wukong told Bajie to cut four willows by the cliff, trim their branches, and transform them into likenesses of the four travelers. The false bodies could answer and respond; Wukong and Bajie tied them to the pillars as before and then hurried after their master. At dawn Zhenyuanzi came to the hall and ordered the Tang Monk beaten. The willow answered, "Beat away!" After thirty strokes he ordered Bajie beaten; the willow answered, "Beat away!" When Sandy was beaten, the willow answered the same. When it came time to beat Wukong, his true body shuddered, and he immediately withdrew the spell. The boys beating them saw the travelers had turned into willows and hurriedly reported to their master. The Great Immortal sneered, "That Sun Wukong who made havoc in Heaven has some skill indeed. You might have fled, but why tie willows here? I will go and catch you!" Zhenyuanzi mounted his cloud and in a moment overtook the Tang Monk and his disciples, calling from the clouds, "Sun Wukong, where are you going? Return my immortal ginseng tree!" Wukong, Bajie, and Sandy heard the call, steadied their master, took up their weapons, and attacked the Great Immortal together. Zhenyuanzi wielded his fly-whisk and parried with ease. The three brothers fought ever more fiercely, surrounding Zhenyuanzi, who met them from the front and rear, left and right. After half an hour of fighting, Zhenyuanzi raised his robe sleeve and again performed the universe-in-the-sleeve, capturing the four travelers once more. The Great Immortal Zhenyuan returned to Wuzhuang Temple, and his disciples came out to welcome him. The Great Immortal ordered the Tang Monk and his disciples tied to a tree, had a large cauldron brought out, dry firewood lit, and clear oil heated. When the oil was boiling, he ordered Wukong thrown into the cauldron. Wukong feared the oil cauldron might be enchanted. He looked around and saw a stone lion to the west of the platform; he transformed it into his own likeness and sent his true body up into the clouds. The oil boiled; four immortal boys could not lift Wukong, so twenty more were called. They carried him and threw him into the cauldron with a crash, sending oil flying everywhere. The boys were splattered with blisters all over their faces. They came to their master crying, "That monkey turned into a stone lion and smashed the cauldron!" Zhenyuanzi was furious. "This impudent monkey is truly rude, daring to break my stove! Bring a new cauldron and throw Tang Sanzang into it for me." Wukong heard this clearly and had to descend from his cloud. "Don't harm my master; I'll go into the oil cauldron instead!" The Great Immortal seized Wukong. "I know your powers, but this time you have acted unreasonably and deceitfully; even with your skills you cannot escape me." Wukong laughed. "What difficulty is there in reviving the tree? Release my master, and I'll return you a living tree." Zhenyuanzi said, "If you revive the immortal tree, I'll bow to you as a sworn brother." He immediately ordered the Tang Monk and his disciples untied.

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