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15 Lotus Cave

Fox Aqi turned to attack again, and Bajie whipped out his nine-toothed rake to hold him off. They fought a long while with neither gaining the advantage. The Golden-Horned King gave a great shout, and all the demon soldiers closed in together. The Tang Monk, hearing from inside the cave the clamour that shook the heavens, told Sandy to go out and help. Sandy charged out with his demon-subduing staff and beat the demons back. Fox Aqi could hold out no longer and turned to run, but Bajie came after him and drove his rake into his back, gouging nine holes from which the blood spurted. He fell dead upon the ground and revealed his true form, a fox. Seeing his uncle struck dead, the Golden-Horned King let Wukong go and swung his sword straight at Bajie. Bajie fended it off with his rake, and Sandy attacked from the other side with his staff. Unable to withstand them, the Golden-Horned King rode off on wind and cloud towards the south, with Bajie and Sandy hard upon his heels. At this Wukong sprang up on his cloud into the air, took out the vase and aimed it at the old demon, calling, "Golden-Horned King!" Thinking it was one of his own imps calling him, the Golden-Horned King turned his head and answered, and with a hiss was sucked inside. His seven-star sword fell to the dust and became Wukong's as well. The three swept away the remaining demons and went back into the cave to tell the Tang Monk. He was beside himself with joy; he and his disciples ate their morning meal, packed up the baggage and the horse, and found the road westward. As they travelled on, a blind old man suddenly stepped out from the roadside, seized the Tang Monk's bridle and said, "Where are you going, monk? Give me back my treasures!" Bajie cried in alarm, "The old demon has come for his treasures!" and raised his rake to strike. Wukong recognized Taishang Laojun, and hastily pulled Bajie back and stepped forward to bow. The Old Lord rose into the clouds, resumed his true form, and demanded the treasures from Wukong. Wukong played the deaf-mute and flatly denied everything. The Old Lord told him how the five treasures had come to be, and went on, "Those two demons, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, are the boys who minded my gold furnace and my silver furnace. They stole the treasures and went down to the world below to play the demon. I had nowhere to look for them, and you have caught them for me." Wukong said, "You let your own servants loose to work evil; at the very least you should be charged with failing to keep them in order." The Old Lord said, "Do not blame the wrong person. It was Guanyin who borrowed my boys and my treasures and set them here as demons in disguise, to see whether you and your master truly mean to go west." When Wukong heard that this was the Bodhisattva's doing, he blamed the Old Lord no more and gave the five treasures back to him. The Old Lord opened the mouths of the gourd and the vase and poured out two streams of immortal breath; with a motion of his hand he turned them back into the gold boy and the silver boy. Attending him on either side, they rose to the highest heaven and returned with him to the Tushita Palace. Wukong brought his cloud down and told his master in full how the Bodhisattva had borrowed the boys and how the Old Lord had taken back his treasures. The Tang Monk bowed towards the empty sky in worship; then he mounted his horse and, guarded by his three disciples, journeyed on towards the west. To learn what befell them next, read the following volume, "The Kingdom of Wuji."

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