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13 White Tiger Ridge

Bajie saw her from afar and cried out, "Master! This is bad! The old woman has come looking for someone." The Tang Monk did not understand. Bajie guessed, "The one Eldest Brother just killed must have been her daughter." Wukong shouted, "Fool, don't talk nonsense; let this old monkey go and look." Wukong strode up to the old woman and recognized her at a glance as the same demon transformed a second time. Without another word he raised his club and struck at her head. When the club rose, the demon released her spirit and fled, leaving a false corpse on the mountain path. The Tang Monk saw this and fell from his horse in shock. Without another word he recited the Tightening-Band Spell backwards twenty times. Poor Wukong's head was squeezed like a gourd at the waist, the pain unbearable. The Tang Monk angrily rebuked him, "I have tried so hard to reform you, yet you kill again without cause. What have you to say?" Wukong insisted he had killed a demon. The Tang Monk would not listen. "You are one with no heart for goodness but a mind for evil. Go!" Wukong said, "Master sends me away again; very well, but one thing doesn't fit." The Tang Monk asked, "What doesn't fit?" Bajie interrupted, "Master, he wants to divide the luggage with you." Hearing this, Wukong flew into a rage and pointed at Bajie. "You long-snouted blockhead! When did this old monkey ever want to divide the luggage?" Bajie's ears turned completely red; he lowered his head and dared not reply. Good Wukong recited a spell and summoned the local earth god and mountain god, ordering them to block the demon's way. The gods obeyed; who dared refuse? They all watched from the clouds. Wukong's club rose and struck the demon on the head, extinguishing her spirit. At that moment the Tang Monk, Bajie, and Sandy had just arrived and saw Wukong strike the old man to the ground. The Tang Monk's face turned pale, his body trembled, and he could not speak. Bajie cried, "The monkey has gone mad — in half a day's journey he has killed three people." The demon had barely escaped Wukong's club and said angrily from mid-air, "What a Sun Wukong, truly formidable! These monks travel fast; forty li west of this mountain they leave my territory. If some other demon captures them, won't my efforts be in vain? I must trick them once more." The demon descended again on yin clouds and transformed into an old man with white hair and a gray beard, leaning on a dragon-head cane, counting prayer beads and reciting true scriptures as he tottered over. The Tang Monk saw him from afar and said, "Wukong, that old man must be looking for his daughter and wife. What will you do?" Wukong said, "Master, don't be afraid; let this old monkey go and see." Wukong approached and recognized the White Bone Demon's third transformation. He thought to himself, "Master has already blamed me repeatedly. If I kill him, Master will surely recite the spell; if I don't, this demon will surely harm Master." Wukong thought again, "Very well, I would rather suffer pain than let the demon harm Master." He recited a true spell and summoned the earth and mountain gods. "This demon has transformed three times to deceive my master. I intend to destroy her; bear witness for me." So saying, Wukong raised his club and struck. The demon was cunning and hastily transformed into a wisp of clear wind to flee. Wukong was prepared; he caught up and killed her with one blow. The demon revealed her true form: a pile of white bones, with the words "Lady White Bone" carved on the spine. The Tang Monk was terrified out of his wits and cried, "You impudent monkey, you have killed three people and still dare to deceive!" Wukong said, "Master, she is a demon. I killed her; look, this is her true form."

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